| Duration | 00:14:15.013 |
| Abstract | Local playwright and composer. [00:00] He has been active SW Wisconsin and the Chippewa Valley since he was 12, starting with performances at 4H club meetings, and got his own regular radio program at 14/15 years old. Jerry started in SW Wisconsin on a farm in a rural community and ended up teaching at Chippewa Falls. [01:23] He came to UWEC to major in music, specifically in vocal and instrumental as well as education. Jerry also met his later wife at the Universtiy within the first month. He became apart of the jazz band during his sophomore year and specialized in string bass and guitar (the Stage Band under Ron Keeser). [02:54] He backed up Bobby Vinton at the Chippewa Valley Fair with many of his fellow students, and after the show they were approached a booking agent, who started writing down dates that he wanted them to play. This then gave them a summer of playing opportunities, backing a plethora of bands and shows. In addition to backing up Bobby Vinton he also worked with and backed up in some form the following people, Lenny Collier, The Lennon Sisters, Arthur Duncan, Myron Floren to name a few, and even played for the Lawrence Welk Show. [06:00] He made a point to mention the local union of musicians (Local 345). [06:36] He mentioned his involvement in playing for the local dance scene, listing the many venues and genres that he played for, and also being hired for parties (many were "moonlighting," or working days and playing nights). [08:18] He cited his saving of all of his calandar books (originally for tax purposes) as the reason he remembers the people, places, and dates, and how Dr. Ott's interviews inspired him to write a 70 page journal about his life and the folklore of performing. [10:00] In terms of modern times, he taught in Chippewa Falls for decades, but more recently has been involved in the Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls and the drama productions there. [11:26] For him, music is a lifelong process of constantly learning and playing, going from student to mentor, but its depends upon appreciation of players and the public. [12:55] He is excited by young people creating original work in the community, as he was part of the movement progressing from just doing covers to creating new works. |
| Owner | Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library |
| Type of resource | sound recording |
| Genre | sound |
| Genre authority | marcgt |
| Publisher name | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire |
| Place of publication | Eau Claire, Wis. |
| Date published | 2018-03-03 |
| Date captured | 2021-05-10 |
| Language | eng |
| Subject geographic | Country: United States State: Wisconsin County: Eau Claire City: Eau Claire |
| Subject topic | history |
| Subject topic | music |
| Subject topic | local history |
| Subject topic | oral history |
| Subject topic | Jerry Way |
| Use and reproduction restrictions | Please contact Special Collections and Archives, W.D. McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire prior to any forms of reproduction |
| Collection | 07. Sounds of Eau Claire Oral History Interviews, 2017-2019 |
| ID | 632d3bde-99a5-46b6-9596-ad109a35059b/00000001/00000012/00000046 |
