Palmer, Jerry
Websites:Â
No
Origin:
Fort William, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:
Jerry Palmer – A Rockabilly Pioneer Turned Country Craftsman
Born Gerry Godick in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay), Jerry Palmer emerged from the golden age of sock hops and teen dance halls to become one of Canada’s most versatile performers, seamlessly shifting from rock and roll to country music over a career spanning five decades.
Jerry’s journey began at age 14 when he formed his first rock and roll band, quickly becoming a mainstay at local dances where he and childhood friend Bobby Curtola set the tone for youth music in Northern Ontario. It didn’t take long for Jerry’s talent to outgrow his hometown. Still in his teens, he found himself opening for touring legends like Brenda Lee, Bobby Vee, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps. One of these early performances caught the attention of famed Canadian producer and songwriter Don Grashey, whose instincts for discovering talent were already proven with artists like Loretta Lynn.
Grashey became Jerry’s manager and mentor, renaming him "Jerry Palmer" after a business associate and steering his career onto the international stage. At just 16, Jerry was taken to Nashville, where he recorded at the newly opened Sam Phillips studio—the same Sam Phillips who had discovered Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. From there, Jerry and Grashey headed west to San Jose and then Hollywood, where they collaborated with Gary Paxton of the Hollywood Argyles, famed for novelty hits like “Alley Oop” and “The Monster Mash.”
In Hollywood, Palmer cut his own renditions of “That’ll Be The Day” and “Walkin’ the Dog,” both of which found chart action and radio rotation. His growing popularity led to television appearances on major U.S. shows including Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and Casey Kasem’s Shebang, where he shared the stage with acts like The Young Rascals.
Palmer's records were released not only in Canada and the U.S., but across Europe, on labels such as Quality Records, Carlton, Chattahoochee, Golden Eagle, and eventually Epic Records, who envisioned Jerry as their next breakout star. But just as his American career was poised to explode, Palmer was served a U.S. draft notice. Faced with a life-altering choice, he returned to Canada—bringing his major-label opportunity to a sudden halt.
Back home, Palmer remained a fixture on the Canadian music scene. He appeared on national television, including CBC’s Club 11—where he performed alongside a young Gordon Lightfoot—and Teen Dance Party, hosted by a pre-Jeopardy Alex Trebek. From 1961 to 1979, Palmer's rock 'n' roll career thrived, propelled by fan-favourite singles like “Travellin’ Shoes,” “Sweet Loretta,” and “Making Love.”
In the mid-1970s, Jerry reinvented himself as a country artist, embracing the genre with warmth, authenticity, and a storyteller’s gift. With his band Lovin’ Country, he recorded and toured across Canada, releasing albums like Lovin’ Country (1975) and a self-titled LP on RCA in 1977. His duet with Carroll Baker on “Are You Mine” was a highlight of this period, and his original songs “Ooh Mama” and “One Way Ticket to a Lady” earned him two BMI Citation Awards. He became a familiar face on Canadian television once more, guesting on The Tommy Hunter Show and The Ronnie Prophet Show.
By the 1990s and 2000s, Jerry continued to evolve—owning and operating Jerry Palmer’s Country Den, a performance venue in Thunder Bay, while also returning to the studio. In 2003, he released Good Ole’ Buddies, an album of Nashville-produced originals that reaffirmed his enduring passion for songwriting.
Now living in Calgary, Jerry Palmer remains a respected figure in Canadian music history—a trailblazer who helped shape the early rock and country landscapes of the nation. From teen idol to country crooner, his career is a testament to talent, resilience, and the timeless appeal of a great song, well sung.
-Robert Williston
