Bio
Jerry T. Yates
The first public performance by Jerry T. Yates was in 1964, when he performed for his 7th grade class, during a class talent show. He continued performing in various Rock 'N' Roll bands throughout high school, and while working as a radio DJ, during the 70's, he also became regionally popular as an Elvis impersonator.
In 1975, after being miraculously healed of 4 large nodules on his larynx, he surrendered his life to Christ, and in 1978, he heard the audible voice of God say, "I want you to preach." Jerry's new relationship with Christ and the divine calling on his life, greatly altered his plans for a career in music, however, it did not alter his music itself. He said, " I felt then, as I still feel today, that God intended for me to keep playing the Country Blues and Rockabilly music I had always played, but I couldn't find any Christian music like that anywhere. So, I started writing it myself. I wrote Christian lyrics to go with my Rockabilly and Country Blues music. That all started on Janruary 1st 1979, and I'm still doing it."
When the 90's rolled around, Jerry had begun recording and gaining a little recognition, and in 1994 he won the Georgia International Country Gospel Music Association New Male Vocalist of the Year Award. In 2006, Jerry signed up with RhonBob Promotions, where co-owner Rhonnie Scheuerman went to work promoting his songs to radio stations all over the world. Several of Jerry's songs have reached some major radio charts, the first one debuting on the Roots Music Report, at # 14 and staying in the top 30 for 58 weeks. Another one recently made it to the Roots Music Report's Country Gospel Chart, climbing to # 5 and published in Cashbox Magazine.
In 2008, Jerry received the 2008 Roots Music Association Gospel Artist of the Year Award. However, he stresses that getting recognition and winning awards is not what Jerry T. Yates Ministries is all about. It's about serving individuals in need, whether that need is spiritual or physical. It's about building them up and encouraging them; showing them where to find real and lasting peace, along with the fact that a person can still have a goodtime, even if he or she is a Christian.
Jerry T. Yates and his wife, Karen, live in Newnan, GA., and can be contacted at (770) 252-9176 or by email at, jkyates@bellsouth.net. 
