Jerry Whitehurst

Jerry Whitehurst, the ACM Award-winning musical director of TNN’s Nashville Now, died on October 30, 2022. He was 84. Born in Nashville, Whitehurst was working for a trucking firm when he landed a part-time job as a pianist in the Grand Ole Opry house band. That gig led to occasional session work and playing piano on TV shows such as Hee-Haw and Pop Goes the Country. When Nashville Now debuted on the fledgling cable network TNN in 1983, Whitehurst’s musical versatility became vital to the daily talk show’s enduring success. Known for his pleasant personality and familiar baseball cap, Whitehurst also composed the show’s theme song. The Nashville Now house band won five consecutive ACM Awards (1985–1989) in the Non-Touring Band of the Year category.