Bridges And Backroads

Jerry Salley has been a part of the Nashville music scene, writing and singing songs since 1982. He was born and raised in the small town of Chillicothe, Ohio. At 18 he signed with SESAC, a song performing rights organization. Upon graduation from the University of Ohio, he moved to Nashville to begin his career in music, landing a job in the Country Music USA cast at the now defunct Opryland theme park.

Billboard Magazine called Jerry Salley, “one of Music Row’s greatest veteran tunesmiths.” It’s a title well earned. He was nominated in 2019 for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as for a GRAMMY for producing the multi-artist project, Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout. In 2018 and 2019 The IBMA awarded him with Songwriter of the Year. He’s been nominated for a Dove Award seven times, and won the 1990 Inspirational Song of the Year with “His Strength Is Perfect.” Over 500 different songs of his have been recorded, and his songs have sold in excess of 18 million records worldwide.

While Jerry is obviously a noted songwriter, he has also managed to record his own music along the way, notching six projects, including his latest, Bridges and Backroads. “I have seven new songs on this project,” Jerry said. “And I have several that I always thought would be hits back when I was writing and recording in the country music days. I thought, ‘I’m probably not going to get them recorded in these days, so I made bluegrass arrangements for them.”

The first single release, “Let Me Be The Bridge,” is actually a 30 year old song Jerry co-wrote with long-time friend and mentor, Jim Rushing. Additionally, Jerry brought in several friends and top bluegrass entertainers to help contribute to this project; Folks like Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Donna Ulisse, Brandon Rickman. Grand Ole Opry member Rhonda Vincent joins him for a duet on, “Waltz Through The Ages With Me,” and Donna Ulisse sings harmony on the new Salley/Ulisse tune, “Be Better To Your Neighbor.”

Find out more here, https://jerrysalley.com. Listen to the Profiles interview here.