Steel Guitar Master Jerry Byrd Helped Launch Dolly Parton's Career

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Jerry Byrd, a master of the steel guitar, was born on this day in 1920. He played with some of the biggest names in classic country music, including Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. Byrd also offered Dolly Parton a publishing deal at Combine Publishing shortly after she moved to Nashville, helping launch her career as a songwriter.

Why it matters

Byrd's contributions as a session musician and talent scout helped shape the trajectory of country music in the mid-20th century. His decision to move to Hawaii and focus on Hawaiian music in the 1970s also helped revive the popularity of the steel guitar in that genre.

The details

Byrd first fell in love with the steel guitar at a traveling tent show when he was 12 years old. He went on to become an in-demand session musician, playing on some of Hank Williams' early recordings. In the mid-1940s, Byrd joined Ernest Tubb's band, the Texas Troubadours, and later the cast of the Grand Ole Opry. As the head of Combine Publishing, Byrd recognized Dolly Parton's talent and offered her a publishing deal, helping launch her career as a songwriter.

• Jerry Byrd was born on March 9, 1920 in Lima, Ohio.
• In the mid-1940s, Byrd joined Ernest Tubb's band, the Texas Troubadours.
• Byrd joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in the mid-1940s.
• Dolly Parton moved to Nashville in 1964, and Byrd offered her a publishing deal at Combine Publishing.
• In the early 1970s, Byrd moved to Hawaii and focused on Hawaiian music.