From:   Phil davies
Date:  Sat Oct 19, 2002  4:39 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jerry Jaye
 
JERRY JAYE

Born Gerald J Hatley, October 19th 1937, Manila Arkansas

Jerry came froma sharecropping family who worked alongside the black
cotton pickers. He joined the US Navy in 1954, he left in 1956 and
formed a trio playing locally featuring Jerry on guitar and vocals.

Eventually a local radio dj took note of their increasing local
popularity and recommended that they record a session with his friend
Roland Janes, at the Sonic Studio in Memphis. This $13 session
changed Jerry's life, the intended A side was Mickey Newbury's 5
Miles from Home and hastily, Hello Josephine (a long time live fav)
was recorded at the end of the session.

Initially, 100 copies were pressed on Jerry's own Connie label (named
after his daughter), some were sold at gigs and others passed onto
local djs. Most played the Fats Domino flip. Jerry took the 45 to Hi
Records boss Joe Cuoghi, who also owned Poplar Tunes record store and
was a distributor for several major jukebox firms.

Cuoghi later turned up at Jerry's home with Ray Harris (Sun legend,
working as an engineer for Joe) wanting to buy the Connie 45
outright. Jerry as wise enough to turn down the small offer and
eventually signed to Hi as a recording artist. Thanks to the hits by
the likes of the Bill Black Combo, Hi was distributed nationally by
London records. The Connie 45 was reissued on Hi in early 1967, with
the old flip as the plug side and renamed My Girl Josephine. In the
height of flower power and psychedelia it became a surprise throwback
hit (a year before the 68 Memphis revival of Presley,Lewis and Cash
and the west coast Creedence retro sound).

With reported sales of 800,000 it reached the Billboard top 30
(number 26). Jerry appeared on national tv and on many hit package
shows of the era (alongside the likes of Booker T & Lou Christie).
Fats sent his catalogue to Hi for considertion and a cash-in album
was recorded in one day (by Ray Harris).With all the hectic touring
there was no time for a photo session and a cartoon cover was issued.
The follow up, Let The 4 Winds Blow, barely charted and later 45s
missed out completely. Jerry left Hi in 1970.he fronted the Bill
Black Combo for a while.

He recorded for smaller labels like Raintree and Mega, whilst
remaining a hot live attraction in the south. Ace guitar picker Bobby
Neal joined his band (Bobby was in Rick Nelson's final band, dying in
the 1985 air crash). Jerry had some minor country success and was
even signed by major label Columbia before returning to Hi (Cuoghi
died in 1970).

The 50s styled country rock classic, Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck
Men reached the country top 20, after cutting a great album and some
more smaller hits, Hi was sold and Jerry went back to his bread and
butter live work. He met and married singer Darlene Battles and
eventually settled in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, playing the
hotel/casino circuit and owning his own club. Jerry is a keen
fisherman and indulges his hobby regularly.

In 1995 he was featured in American Music magazine and later NDT
(superb article written by our own Tony Wilkinson) and toured both
the UK and Scandinavia. His four UK dates, backed by The Rimshots,
went down well and brings back many happy memories of compering a few
gigs. It's the closest Tony and I came to being rockabilly heroes,
joining in on the backing vocals on a frantic 40 Days!!! Jerry was
great company, a dry wit with a self depreciating sense of humour.
Eating faggots (a Welsh liver/pork meat dish) caused him great
amusement for some reason! he returned to Sweden for a show and a
brief recording session in 19999.Hopefully he'll visit these shores
again, if we can replace that fishing pole with a geetar!Now, how
does 40 days go again Tony?

Phil Davies

Recommended reading
Now Dig This issue 152, 1995, pages 5-7, Rock On Josephine by Tony
Wilkinson, basis for above feature, as well as his cd sleeve notes

Recommended Listening
Both Hi era recordings are available on cd
My Girl Josephine, 67-70 Connie (first Hi era + Mega 45)
Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men, Edsel(mid 70s Hi lp + earlier Hi)
My Girl Josephine Hi/Edsel, featuring some of both eras.
also the VA Hi Records-The Early Years Vol 2