Jerry's father was a well-known and loved comedian in the burlesque / vaudeville world of the time.  He had been married before and had had a son by his first wife.  That son had prodigious talent as a performer, and his mother brought the boy to Hollywood to try the movies, which were in their own infancy at the time.  Her gamble paid off, and the boy became Mickey Rooney (his real name is Joe Yule, Jr., after his--and Jerry's--father, Joe Yule).  Mickey Rooney is Jerry's half-brother; and, while the men know each other, they have never become close friends.

Jerry himself showed prodigious musical talents during the Broadway run of 'Finian's Rainbow', the Broadway show in which his father was starring in the role of Finian.  Jerry was given music and piano lessons immediately...and so it all began.

He studied with various teachers and at various venues during his childhood, and emerged as a fine pianist by his teen years.  He performed in many places as a budding concert pianist during that time, and won many scholarships and the like.  Jerry's father, however, had passed on by then, and Jerry and his sister were being raised by their mother.  Times were tough and funds were scarce...and help with college expenses was out of the question.  The scholarships he had been offered covered only school--not living--expenses, and the music schools were back East, mainly along the coast in New York and Baltimore.  The cost of living and attending school was nearly impossible to handle, so, instead, Jerry joined the U.S. Army; a step he made as much to gain life experience for himself as ease the financial burden on his mother.

The Army quickly recognized Jerry's talents and he was sent to Special Services, which handled, along with many other things, musical shows and the like.  Jerry ended up as the pianist / arranger for one of the Army's travelling shows, and, after a year or so, was sent to Panama in the Army's Caribbean area.  There, he was attached to the band; however, he was usually sent on assignments with Special Services for shows and concert tours around the Latin American area.

Upon separation from the Army, Jerry returned to Los Angeles, where he worked as a regular musician in many venues, including motion pictures, television, and hotels and restaurants around the Los Angeles and Hollywood area.  During a short stint in Bakersfield, he met and made friends with Jimmy Durante.  Jerry was to join Mr. Durante's show, but had to return to Los Angeles when his mother suddenly passed away; and, shortly after, Mr. Durante retired and passed away himself.  Jerry was unable to perform with Mr. Durante, but still had 'warm memories of a great guy'. 

Jerry had also performed for and befriended the likes of Paul Lynde, Greer Garson, Greta Garbo--who would sneak down to see her 'favorite pianist' when he was working on the Sunset Strip--, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Judy Garland.  He worked with Meredith Willson, the author of 'The Music Man', and says now of the collaboration: 'We got along fine as long as I just shut up and let him do all the talking.'  Jerry also met and worked with Stefanie Powers, Juliet Prowse, Frank Gorshin, Johnny Cash, Rodney Dangerfield, and the Latin bandleader Esquivel.

At one notable political function in Washington D.C., Jerry played for President Kennedy and a gaggle of senators and other political figures, and met and chatted with Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who, Jerry said, 'was the most interesting person in the room'.

Jerry had performed around the world, in locations such as Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Honduras, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, and various locations across the United States.  After establishing himself in Hollywood, Jerry expanded to the San Diego area (which became his favorite city), as well as Washington D.C., Phoenix, Las Vegas, and, ultimately, Dallas, where he resided until his passing.  He had been married three times, and had four sons and six grandchildren.

Jerry was a musician who had been able to successfully blend his background in classical training with popular modes of music, which gave his playing a special glow that cannot be found very often anywhere else.

To our great grief, Jerry passed away during the early morning hours on Friday, July 13, 2007.  He will be sorely missed, but his music plays on in our hearts.