Gerald Whitehurst Obituary, Death – It is an honor for the Todd County Funeral Home to have been asked to assist the Whitehurst family in their time of need following the passing of Mr. Gerald “Jerry” Thomas Whitehurst. Gerald “Jerry” Thomas Whitehurst, 84 years old and a resident of Brentwood, California, passed away on Sunday, October 30, 2022, with his family by his side. Jerry Whitehurst was born on May 12, 1938 in Nashville, Tennessee. His parents, Earl and Geraldine Knott Whitehurst, both passed away before he was born.
Jerry was a retired musician who worked as the music director and/or pianist for a large number of television shows throughout the course of his career. Some of these shows include the Grand Ole Opry, Pop Goes the Country, Hee Haw, The Bobby Lord Show, and Dolly Parton’s Dolly television show. He worked closely with the iconic radio and television personality Ralph Emery in Nashville on a daily basis, including on The Morning Show on WSMV. However, he is likely best remembered for his high-profile work on the long-running cable television musical variety show Nashville Now, which was hosted by his lifelong buddy Ralph Emery.
In addition to that, he was the composer of the theme song for Nashville Now. Recordings by Johnny Paycheck, J.J. Cale, Johnny Cash, Jim & Jesse, Pat Boone, Lester Flatt, Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, and Porter Wagoner are among his discography credits. He played golf to a high level and had a lot of fun competing at Augusta National and Pebble Beach. He is survived by his wife, Linda Mealer Whitehurst of Brentwood; two daughters, Terry Dugger of Franklin, Tennessee and Lisa Hall (Bryan) of Phoenix, Arizona; one son, Gary Whitehurst (Ashley) of Atlanta, Georgia; three stepchildren, Jamie Gentry of Chapel Hill, Tennessee, Julie Tankersley (Brad) of Belfast, Tennessee, and Jennifer Smith (Lance) of Chapel Hill, Tennessee; and two sisters, Brenda Gregory (Charlie) of Naperville, Illinois and