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Jerry Harrison is a legendary musician, songwriter, and producer best known as the keyboardist and guitarist for the influential band Talking Heads. A key figure in the new wave movement, Jerry's innovative sound and creative vision helped shape the band's distinctive style. In addition to his work with Talking Heads, Jerry has a successful solo career and has produced albums for numerous acclaimed artists. His contributions to music have earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy as a pioneering force in the industry.
We talk about his time performing in NJ with Talking Heads, Asbury Park, Jon Bon Jovi, Remain In Light, Songs of Arthur Russel, knowing Talking Heads was going to have a cultural impact, David Byrnes’s organization, CBGBs, Blondie, Patti Smith, misheard lyrics, social media, and more. Enjoy!
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Talking Heads
Though he's hardly a cult persona, Jerry Harrison has failed to be recognized as a crucial figure in the history of punk rock, a portion of the music which influenced it, and the styles which had grown out of punk more than 15 years later. Best known as the keyboard player and occasional guitarist of Talking Heads during the 1980s, Harrison had begun his career ten years before, playing with Jonathan Richman's seminal Modern Lovers during the early '70s. He recorded several solo albums while on occasional hiatus from Talking Heads in the '80s, but when the band disintegrated in the late '80s, Harrison resumed his busy production schedule, working with some hot alternative acts.
Born in 1949 in Milwaukee, Jerry Harrison began playing with bands while in high school, and continued his work after graduation, while he studied at Harvard during the late '60s. By the beginning of the decade, Harrison and bandmate Ernie Brooks were encouraged to form a band by local Boston friend Jonathan Richman. Named the Modern Lovers, the group moved quickly and recorded demos in 1972 with John Cale. Finally released in 1976, the songs proved to be a major influence on underground bands in New York; the Modern Lovers had broken up by that time, though, with Harrison going back to Harvard to teach. In April of 1976, however, he attended a Talking Heads show in Boston and convinced them to let him join. The band signed to Sire just one year later, and became one of the most intelligent alternative bands of the '80s, recording an astounding variety o… Read More
