Galway-based piano man, Jerry McLaughlin, has a unique link to the US heartland of blues, jazz and country music - the city of Memphis, Tennessee. He has the distinction of being an Honorary Councilman of Memphis, a city renowned worldwide as the musical home of legends such as Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, WC Handy and BB King.
Memphis is the historical heart of rousing rhythm and blues with the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Louis starting their career at the famous Sun Studio. It is because of this strong lineage that the US city has a romantic hold over many who choose music as a lifelong career.
Jerry is one of those who discovered music at a young age and continues to entertain the people of Galway with his ability at the piano keys. Although he grew up in Belfast, he has strong connections with the city he now calls home. His late mother, Julia Fahy, came from a large family in Roscahill and his aunt, Angela Fahy, still lives in Mervue.
Jerry says he was “never a stranger” to Galway during his childhood and he now lives down by the Docks in an area he prefers to call “the harbour”. Behind the entertainer is a journey which culminated in the acceptance of the honorary title in the US.
Growing up in west Belfast at the height of the troubles was “horrendous and very dangerous,” he explains, admitting that he felt very vulnerable there. However, he found sanctuary in learning to play the piano accordion before graduating to the keyboard.
Jerry speaks fondly of those who inspired him to embark on a musical career and in particular, his neighbour Annie McGlinchey, who was “the only person on the street with a piano”.
“When you are eight years old and you see someone play with such elegance, style and proficiency, it is more than enough to entertain a child,” he says. “I used to listen, watch and learn. Annie was friends with my mother and had a piano in her parlour. This was unheard of! I used to sneak in to the parlour to play the piano. To watch someone play when you are young is an inspiration and I thought it was amazing.”
The roots of Jerry’s musical ability were founded and shaped by “Mr Morrelli” who taught him to play the piano accordion. Mr Morrelli had Italian /Irish ancestry and was particular about the beat and timing of a song. It was this foundation which allowed Jerry to play the piano without any formal tuition. In fact, Jerry had his first professional gig with his tutor at the age of 16 in west Belfast, and earned the princely sum of £2 sterling.
“I am not a trained piano player but I understand harmony,” he explains.
“Harmony is a medium for me and I am strictly a keyboard and piano man. The people I meet through my work are exceptional and everyone is so warm to the piano singer,” he continues.
Jerry has played across Ireland, Northern Ireland, in New York and it was music that brought him to Memphis. The year 1983 was a turning point for him. It was the year he lost his mum, Julia, to respiratory illness and the year he met the people who would lead him to the US. He had been living in County Clare when the opportunity arrived to travel and work in New York City. He regularly played in the Big Apple during the late eighties and often took weekend breaks to Memphis.
It was 20 years ago, in 1988, when he first arrived in the city that was to recognise his gift and good nature. And in 1992, he was offered a permanent gig on bustling Beale Street, an area where a young BB King used to strum his guitar. Jerry was the first musician to play on the opening night of Silkys, a “huge saloon” in downtown Beale Street.
“I love the place,” he says, “if I lived in America again I would chose Midtown Memphis.
“It is a wonderful, tranquil city and I had a great time there.”
However, he accepts that playing to such a large audience was a challenge.
“It was more up tempo in Memphis,” he says. It was tougher physically and mentally. I am more at ease sitting at the piano now in Galway. The two scenes contrast a lot.”
He says he “called it a day” at the end of that year and came back to Ireland.
But the city didn’t forget him, and in 2007, he was asked to be Grand Marshal at the Memphis St Patrick’s Day parade. It was here that he was given a formal title, at an informal ceremony, a title that is part and parcel of the parade itself. Jerry became an Honorary Councilman of the City of Memphis and Shelby County and it is an honour he holds with pride.
Photo courtesy of Silky O'Sullivans Facebook page
“It means a lot to me,” he says, “the idea that people think enough of you to invite you out to their city and to recognise you. It’s the recognition that matters and it is a time I look back with nostalgia and affection. There is a small Irish community in Memphis and the way they treat you is amazing. It’s their way of keeping up the contact and saying ‘ya’ll come back now! They are fun people and they warm your heart.”
The ceremony took place at an informal luncheon, where he was presented with the appreciation and a set of cufflinks. Jerry is a man who seems more comfortable in casual attire, with ripped jeans and a t-shirt, and he openly jokes that he “hasn’t worn” the cufflinks.
Photo courtesy of Silky O'Sullivans Facebook page
However, this doesn’t undermine the importance such recognition holds for him. He enjoyed a meal of “catfish and fries” at the invited gathering which, he says, had a strong cross-community spirit. Jerry enjoys his time in the US, but he is happy in the west, which he says has “always been good to me”.
“I have roots here,” he explains, “but as a freelance musician, I don’t know where I will be next year. Everyone has a flow in their lives, especially freelance people, and I go with that. Galway is a great place to work and be a musician. The people I meet and work with are very approachable and warm. I place a lot of value in that.”
Throughout his career, he has worked with many international musicians and singers, including Jon Secada of the Miami Sound Machine and American tenor, Gary Lakes. He surprised the opera singer with his knowledge of the German composer, Wagner, and he has also met the Rock n’Roll great, Gerry Lee Lewis. While he has a vast repertoire of songs, Jerry can single out a particular favourite, ‘Our Love is Here to Stay’ by Gershwin. It is the last song the composer ever wrote.
Jerry is often taken aback by the people he meets through music. He prefers the intimate gigs Galway has to offer and enjoys the reaction from the crowd. He regularly plays in many different venues, from wine bars and restaurants, to theatres, pantomimes and weddings. His popularity has grown through his ability to connect with the crowd. He is able to engage and interact with his audience while playing everything from swing and big band tunes to more soulful jazz and the odd Irish ditty.
Photo courtesy of Silky O'Sullivans Facebook page
While he is a solo artist, he says it is the ability to accompany anyone at a moment’s notice, which forms the basis for great friendships.
“I really like what I do,” says Jerry.
"It is the people who cross your path that makes life what it is. I have met some very interesting and engaging people in Galway. There is something very unpretentious about meeting someone through music. I find I get on great with other singers and entertainers as we have something in common. You can make a new connection with someone if you can accompany a tune.”
Jerry will continue ‘walking in Memphis’ thanks to the recognition he received from the local community.
*This article was first published in the Galway City Tribune
