JERRY MERCER...
is a musical legend with a career that spans six decades.
is a musical legend with a career that spans six decades.
From his early days playing Motown and Muscle Shoals tunes with the great Trevor Payne, Jerry was always a trend and a pace setter. During the late 60’s, the times were a-changing and Jerry was on the cutting edge, forming the progressive group the Triangle and finally the iconic band Mashmakhan. The success of their international hit "As The Years Go By" opened many doors for Mashmakhan, including a million selling triumph in Japan, a place on the Festival Express Train with music giants The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and The Band, a high charting US hit and the coveted number one spot on the Canadian charts.
Jerry was always eager to sit in and play with other groups and this spirit helped forge friendships and alliances with some great talent. Fate brought him to Washington DC where he played a season as drummer for iconic guitarist Roy Buchanan and recorded his second album with him.
In 1973, Jerry was recruited to play with April Wine and went on to record multiple gold and platinum albums with the group, totalling more than seven million units worldwide. April Wine’s international success allowed the band to tour extensively around the globe. Known for his powerful drum features during the show, Jerry regularly brought audiences to their feet with his signature solos.
Jerry often sat in and recorded with the California band The Wackers, Ellen McIlwaine, Lee Aaron, the Buzz Band and French superstars Offenbach, joining the band for one of their European tours.
He decided to take some well deserved time off and retired from April Wine in 2009.
Throughout his long professional career, Jerry has been honoured with many awards including being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Widely recognized as one of Canada’s all time greatest drummers, Jerry Mercer’s style and mastery of playing continues to be very highly regarded and to be an important influence on both professional and aspiring drummers everywhere.
"Other soloists of the time were brilliant and inspirational. Two unforgettable Canadian examples were Skip Prokop with Lighthouse, and Jerry Mercer with Mashmakhan……. Jerry's live solo in 'Letter From Zambia' had all the primal power and drama the title suggests, and seemed to tell a story. Decades later, their influence remains in my ideal of what a solo ought to be.
-Neil Peart on drum solos for Rhythm Magazine UK, March 2014
"With his shaved head, bristling beard and thunderous drumming with bands including Triangle and hitmakers Mashmakan, Jerry Mercer was legendary in the Canadian music scene long before he stepped into April Wine and powered that Montreal-based band to the top of the charts with albums including Electric Jewels, Stand Back, First Glance, Attitude, and the multi-platinum international hit, Nature of the Beast. A soft-spoken, highly personable character whose larger-than-life onstage presence and devastating power ensure April Wine classics including Roller, Could Have Been a Lady, and Sign of the Gypsy Queen make their mark, Jerry Mercer is living proof that when it comes to survival in the world of music making, the combined power of tremendous talent and great personality is the key to success.”
-Sabian Cymbals