My father-in-law, Arthur Jerrom, who has died aged 86, was Slim Whitman's favourite steel guitarist and played with the American country singer during the 1960s under the stage name Jerry West. Whitman sought Jerry's services as he could closely replicate on the steel the singer's voice and three-octave range. He toured with Whitman in Australia and New Zealand.
Jerry was in much demand from other performers as a country steel guitar player, backing such musical greats as Willie Nelson and Hank Locklin, as well as establishing his own successful band, Spinning Wheel. In the 50s and 60s he toured US airbases in Britain, developing a loyal following in Suffolk, where he played to packed audiences of homesick servicemen.
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