Jerry Powell

Jerry Powell was born on a farm in the Appalachian foothills of north Alabama but spent his formative years 300 miles to the south in Mobile. It was there, as a teenager he began earning money playing guitar and singing in a local band. After high school and a stint in the army, he ended up on the road playing music 6-nights a week. This journey took him from independent night clubs to the burgeoning 4 and 5-Star hotel lounge circuit, which called for, not only musical skills, but a strong focus on floor shows and communication and interaction with diverse regional audiences around the country! "It was trial by fire" he says, "but I sure learned a lot during that time". Dissecting and performing the current Top 40 hits every week during those years, contributed to his songwriting skills, a talent he had nurtured and begun as a teenager, and eventually led him to more time in the studio and production environment! He is a former CBS/Epic recording artist, as well as serving as a staff songwriter for Sony/Tree and Muscle Shoals Sound Music Publishing. His guitar style has been utilized in hundreds of recording sessions, and as a player and producer, his work has been released by several major record labels such as Capitol/EMI, and the aforementioned CBS/Epic Records. Jerry's charismatic musical journey eventually opened up doors as an on-camera spokesman for numerous ad agencies and their clients, leading to film roles such as the numerous characters he plays as Clem Samuels in the dark and adventurous comedy "West From North Goes South". His film credits also include the Warner Bros. release, "Hometown Legend"!