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Jerry was the owner of Abtrax recording studio in the Berry Hill area of Nashville. We met in the late 90s when I began to work there frequently doing song demos and background vocals.
It seemed like Jerry was always there even if he wasn’t producing, engineering, or part of the session. He enjoyed the creative energy in the air and the camaraderie with amazing musicians. Sometimes the session might be running behind or I’d get there a bit early, and I enjoyed visiting with Jerry and getting to know his story.
I soon learned that his two sons, Vinnie Paul and Darrell (Dimebag) were successful in the heavy metal genre as drummer and guitar player for their band Pantera. When they were young, Jerry worked as an engineer in a recording studio and had been in local country bands touring around TX. As his sons showed an interest in music he taught and encouraged them then started producing and managing them. He engineered and produced the band’s first four albums on their own Metal Magic label. When they were able to secure a major label deal, he stepped aside.
Jerry’s roots were in country music, which brought him to Nashville. He had several of his songs recorded by top country acts including Buck Owens and Freddie Fender. Though the studio was a business for him, it was also a way to surround himself with many of the best singers, songwriters, and musicians in town.
In December of 2004, it was a real punch in the gut for all of us that knew Jerry when we heard the news that Darrell had been shot and killed while on stage during a show in Columbus, OH. I can’t imagine the heartbreak. It was also a reminder of how vulnerable we can be while on stage and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that had flashbacks of times when an overzealous fan rushed the stage. Sooner than I thought they would, things at the studio returned to normal. What was he to do but keep going. I’m sure it helped to be surrounded by what he loved, but I could see the sadness in his eyes.
In 2010, out of the blue, Jerry called. He told me he wanted to record some duets and wondered if I was interested. His vision was that we would record some of our favorite duets or songs that would work as duets that had already been big hits. He wanted to do them with bluegrass instrumentation. After meeting and going over songs, we agreed to record. Jerry was recording under the pseudonym BJ Blue. It seemed to me he was anxious to record as much music as he could, making several solo CDs along with what became three duet CDs (37 songs) that we recorded. He released them to smaller radio stations and on iTunes, but there really wasn’t a plan for them. It seemed the plan for him, was just the enjoyment of doing it.
During this time, he decided to write his life story, “Over My Left Shoulder”. I’ve always been a grammar geek and Jerry asked if I’d help proofread his drafts. I was happy to help and humbled that I’d be among the first to read what I’m sure at times wasn’t easy to put to paper.
Jerry eventually sold the studio and moved home to TX about the time that I moved to AZ. In 2018 he lost his other son Vinnie Paul to heart disease. We stayed in touch as he was writing a screenplay. Jerry had a great sense of humor, and I enjoyed being his sounding board for that process. As his health declined, we weren’t able to be in touch as much, but I will always remember the sound of his laugh and am grateful for the gift of his friendship and our recordings together. Rest in peace my friend. Here is one of my favorites that we recorded.
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