Jerry Hudson

Although our brother Jerry has left this world, he lives on in spirit and in the hearts and minds of family and friends that love him. Jerry was about 5 and a half years older than me, so of course I always wanted his approval and to hang out with him. He started in music learning the guitar when he was young, but he soon became more interested in the production of music. So, I got his guitar and started taking lessons. I’ve been playing ever since. We shared a room before he moved out and he didn’t want me changing the radio station. It was a way to encourage me to listen to the coolest music of the time and not just top 40 kids music. 60’s and 70’s music is still my favorite When he got started doing live sound I was a teenager. I remember him starting with an Acoustic PA head sitting to the side of the stage with Stymie. When he got the gig with Nitzinger, he would let me carry in a guitar so I could get into Gertie’s and all the other places they would play. Pretty cool for a 16-17 year old. Then when he started with Calico I would help him with the PA setup at The Mine Shaft, Whiskey River, and Faces. Again, pretty cool to be in high school and be on the guest list for the most popular bands in DFW. I’ll never forget lifting those heavy PA speakers onto the raised platforms on the side of the stage at Faces! I was in the Air Force on a missile crew when he recorded Vince Vance and The Valiants doing Bomb Iran (to the tune of Barbara Ann by The Beach Boys) around 1980 at Pantego Sound. He sent me a copy and all my AF buddies loved it. He was in the thick of the best of DFW music his entire life. When I came back from the Air Force, he was managing Savvy and invited me to hear them at Savvy’s. When I walked in, he introduced me to the bouncer first to make sure I was taken care of, then took me to the bar and hooked me up with the bartenders. Spent a little time in the back dressing room as well. It was a weeknight. I didn’t make it to work the next day lol I learned a lot about being a musician and the music business from Jerry. How to be in a studio session, how to prepare for recording or stage. How not to say that’s good enough, when it’s not. I learned how to mix live and in the studio, which helps me a great deal when I’m playing to understand the process and to always think about the overall sound and how to fit into that. It was the time of my life to work with him in the years that we revived Pantego Sound. He knew how to get the best out of the musicians in an encouraging way that helped them to accept only their best. I got to mix Robert Earl Keen at The Sons of Hermann Hall. Other than carrying the PA up and down the outside stairs, that was a blast! I would not have had any of those experiences without my brother Jerry. I remember Jerry loving life, music, and baseball with a great sense of humor and wit. He still had a lot of master tapes from his time at Pantego and Eagle. Again, a who’s who of DFW bands. Many masters of Q102 Texas Music Hour tapes with the likes of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Karen Bella, Savvy, Rio, Joe Ealey, and Phyrework.done at Pantego. We will miss you Jerry. Your family, friends and all the musicians you worked with and helped and influenced. You are alive in all of our hearts always. -Your little bro