Sailor Jerri - Her Career Is Taking Off Like the Jets She Worked On

My wife Cathy and I had the pleasure of meeting Sailor Jerri in 2017 at the largest Hot Rod and custom car show in the Midwest. It was in Columbus, Minnesota, not far from where we live. At the event, I was to do a photoshoot and write an article for an automotive magazine and was on stage to get a few shots of the large group of attendees. That allowed me to have a nice conversation with Sailor Jerri before she stepped up to the microphone. I learned that during her time in the Navy, she was an Aviation Mechanic and worked on F/A 18's with the VFA 83 Rampagers. She served from 2002 - 2006. During my 4 year Navy commitment, I told her that I had been an Electricians Mate in Vietnam and San Diego.

Shortly after she began singing and playing a great sounding 6 string acoustic, it didn't take long for anyone there to learn she is a gifted guitarist with a great voice. As a musician, it's obvious she is a quick study. Jerri started playing the guitar in August of 2016. She said, "I feel that music is therapeutic, and everyone should learn to play. I hope that seeing my struggles to learn and seeing the progress I've made will encourage others to take the time and spend the time and energy". I asked Jerri about her favorite musical artists and was interested to hear that, early on, Patsy Cline became a favorite, and she also likes AC/DC, Reba McEntire, and Brooks and Dunn. Cathy and I have CDs that range from Jerri to the Beatles and Willie Nelson, so we find her favorites a nice mix.

The Minnesota car show where we met was a 'Cruise For The Troops' event to benefit Veterans. One of the songs Jerri performed was 'Hallelujah Veterans Version.' After the last note, there was a long, loud 'appreciation ovation' for the very pro-veteran song. Her support of fellow Veterans was obvious to those fortunate enough to have been there. Initially, she began playing and singing for those in long term care at the VA as well as groups online where they would meet and give each other support. She said, "They're 100% behind me. That is an amazing feeling". No doubt. Although I didn't serve with any of the Swift Boat Sailors Association members, the Vietnam Veterans group I have been with for years, there is an immediate bond among us at our every-other-year reunions is airtight. Jerri wrote and posted the 'Hallelujah Veterans Version' in April of 2017. It only took a year for the song to be viewed more than 125 million times and downloaded in 22 countries worldwide. Her musical career took off like the jets she worked on.

Since that turning point, she has been busy writing some new songs (she's good at that, too) in the studio. 'No Rules in Sight,' her initial CD was released on April 13, 2018, and went to #14 on the country charts, an impressive debut. One of the tracks is 'I'm Going Anyway.' Two of her friends had joined the Navy, and she opted to do that, too. Some family members tried to talk her out of going into the military, and her response was how that song got its title. It was released in September of 2018 and has been viewed 210,000 times and counting. If you go to her website www.sailorjerrimusic.com and click on 'Videos,' you can check out 'I'm Going Anyway.' I thought it was appropriate that a former Aviation Mechanic filmed it in her squadron's hangar at Naval Air Station Oceana. Her follow-up CD, 'Screen Doors and Steel Guitars,' was released in May of 2019. Once again, her talent as a vocalist and guitarist shines through. I have followed sports and music for decades. When you meet those in either profession and are performers you enjoy, it is so nice to discover they are as enjoyable and approachable as talented. 

Sailor Jerri began 2019 with a February 'No Vet Alone Music Saves Life' concert with Elliott McKenzie at The Rhythm and Riffs Lounge at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Elliott served in the United States Marine Corps and joined just 5 days after graduating from high school. He is an Iraq war Veteran and served as a civil affairs specialist with the Army Reserve and has earned a Bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science as noted on Sailor Jerri's site "No Vet Alone" teamed up with Mandalay Bay, Kings of Music Las Vegas, Feyline Entertainment and KLAS Channel 8 to showcase Veteran performers and the power that music can have in preventing suicides and improving whole health". Veterans in the entertainment world will take part in the No Vet Alone initiative. Jerri began her 2019 tour with a stop at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Her calendar quickly added 50 concerts in 17 states. In November of 2019, Jerri joined Reba McEntire on stage at the Country Music Awards in Nashville. They introduced Dierks Bentley and Sheryl Crow. Jerri was featured along with her band performing her song 'Won't Be For Nothing'; it was shown on the video screen. She had done shows with George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Randy Hauser, and an impressive list of other great artists during the year. Her 2020 concert schedule opened in North Dakota and is followed by events around the country. Sailor Jerri can catch her breath after a late October concert in Texas.

As a music fan, I appreciate that Jerri's music is multifaceted. When you hear it, the entertainment aspect of it is as crystal clear as her voice. Additionally, she utilizes her music to help and inspire her fellow Veterans. Jerri has established a partnership with Crown Royal and Thomas Rhett to announce the Purple Bag Project. They have pledged to pack and ship one million Crown Royal bags filled with the frequently needed essentials to the military serving overseas. She has said, "As long as they want to listen, I'll keep singing." Having enjoyed a wide variety of music since the '50s (as a point of clarification that would be the 1950's), Jerri will be singing and playing her guitar well into the future. Music fans are fortunate; that is the case. Her first two CDs, 'No Rules In Sight' and 'Screen Doors and Steel Guitars,' are a great start. Much to the delight of her growing number of fans, Sailor Jerri is working on her third CD. That's great news, and we're looking forward to it being underway - hand salute to a very caring and talented Veteran.