Jerry Byrd, 86, Steel Guitar Pioneer
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Jerry Byrd, who helped pioneer the telltale sound of steel guitar in Hawaiian and country music, died Monday in Honolulu. He was 85.
The Nashville, Tenn., native moved to Hawaii in the 1970s and was credited for defining the steel guitar sound of early Nashville and incorporating the instrument into Hawaiian music.
He performed country musicians including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Chet Atkins. In Hawaii, Byrd worked with a host of island musicians including Danny Kaleikini and Don Ho.
