Gerry Ford

Singer, songwriter, deejay and emcee Gerry Ford spent more than three decades in the music industry and ranked among Great Britain’s most prominent country performers. Born Gerard Corcorran in Athlone, Ireland, he developed an early passion for American country and western music after hearing it on the radio and mastered the guitar through self-instruction. Relocating to London, he balanced daytime work as a baker with nighttime duties as a deejay and emcee. Following his 1964 marriage, he and his wife settled back in Scotland, where he served as a policeman by day and performed in local venues by night. His 1974 on-air introduction on Glasgow’s Radio Clyde paved the way for his own program, Forth Country Special, on Edinburgh’s Radio Forth. The 1976 release of his debut single, “Reuben James,” prompted him to pursue music full time. He subsequently worked clubs as both performer and deejay before joining Emerald Records. His first album, These Songs Are Just for You, appeared in 1977, after which he launched national club tours under the banner of the Gerry Ford Country Show. Beginning in 1978, he hosted BBC Radio Scotland’s Country Corner for fifteen years; its eventual cancellation sparked widespread public protests that included petitions, telephone complaints, and letters. Ford shared bills with American artists such as Willie Nelson and Boxcar Willie and served for many years as host and performer at the Wembley Festival. His recorded output also included the albums On the Road (1981), 16 Country Favorites (Volume 1, 1990; Volume 2, 1994), and Can I Count on You (1992).