“Byron’s Trinity” by Bill Jackson and Ross Jackson
Sometimes when the most talented folks in your orbit pass away, there’s such a profound sense of loss that it seems like there is nothing you can do. When titans in Americana music Mary Sack, David Olney and Mark Gerking each passed away fairly recently over a span of time, a mutual friend of theirs decided to create a tribute song, “Byron’s Trinity.” We had a chance to interview Bill Jackson about the creating of this song and accompanying video.
Americana Highways: Who was this song written for?
Bill Jackson: “Byron’s Trinity” was written by me and my brother Ross for Mark Gerking, David Olney and Mary Sack. Losing these three friends in such a short space of time has been profoundly sad and distressing for everybody who knew and loved them.
AH: Tell us more about Mary Sack and how you first met.
BJ: I don’t remember how I first connected with Mary. It was definitely 2007 and I think it may have been on MySpace – remember that! I had just released my second solo album ‘Steel & Bone’ in Australia and had this crazy idea to try and do some kind of small tour to the US. I had also just met my partner Ruth Hazleton – she was traveling all over the place playing music and love made everything seem possible.
I sort of understood that Mary was some kind of Agent/Manager (she had just taken on David Olney), so I cheekily put it out to her as to whether she would be interested in touring me in the US. To my surprise she took on the challenge and once it happened though it was SO Mary…a whirlwind. She organized shows for us in LA, Austin and Nashville. Arts Victoria gave me a grant and Pete Fidler (Dobro/Mandolin/Guitar), my co-writing brother Ross and I headed off to the US in September of that year. Ruthy was touring in the UK and flew in to join us in LA. We had the best time. Mary introduced us to her people – many who have become lifelong friends.
Like so many folks have said, she was a meticulous ‘dot joiner’ – a ‘people person,’ a machine — and it was all about the music and the songs. It was our Nashville friend Mike White who labelled her ‘The Sackinator.’ There are no words to describe what her friendship and belief in my music meant to me, so I will leave it there.
AH: How did you meet David Olney and Mark Gerking?
BJ: If it wasn’t for Mary Sack, I would never have met two splendid human beings. On that first trip to Nashville in 2008, Mary brought David to our first show at the now defunct ‘Norm’s River Roadhouse.’ The next day Ruth and I had breakfast with David at Fido’s. I didn’t know a lot about David at that stage and started to do my research. That was a “wow” and humbling exercise. David was David – brilliant, funny, and inspiring. When Ruth and I toured with him and Sergio Webb in Australia in 2013 it was the best time of my musical life. He ended up recording our song “Something in Blue” on his album When the Deal Goes Down. That is the greatest honour I have ever had bestowed on me as a songwriter.
Mark Gerking lived in Sioux City, Iowa. He was a music aficionado and graphic artist. I think Mary must have been passing on our albums to him because from the get-go we became really good friends, even though we had never met. He got on board with our visit to Folk Alliance International in Memphis in 2008 and did some fabulous posters/flyers for us. We emailed each other a lot and spoke on Skype a lot. His output of posters, not only for me but a plethora of artists was boundless and so interestingly brilliant. A beautiful person, we finally got to meet in 2015 when he came on the road with us on a small tour through Iowa.
AH: How did this song come together?
BJ: So Ross and I wrote this song – something to remember them by and to celebrate their lives. It’s called “Byron’s Trinity.” It became my obsession and helped enormously in the grieving process for my three beautiful friends. Byron Stuart’s venue in the small town of Pomeroy IO epitomized everything that was excellent and righteous about the song and those people who were drawn to it.
Mary, David and Mark all loved Byron. When we discovered that the great English poet Lord Byron was one of the most famous past students at Trinity College (Cambridge University), the hook of the song for our three friends was sealed. I recorded the basic acoustic guitar/vocal tracks here at home in Melbourne and started dreaming. I sent it to Dan Seymour in Nashville. Dan was an old friend and was David’s bass player. He sent me back a bass track. That worked out and I thought how cool it would be to have friends of all three contribute. Pete Fidler (Australia), Sergio Webb (US) and Ben & Julieanne Reel (Ireland) then came on board to add their beautiful parts which they sent to me. David did some of his finest work with Jack Irwin producing and engineering and he agreed to mix and master the track in Nashville. So off all the files went to Nashville. A bonus was that Jack also played organ on the track. As Jack said – “Let’s do this for our friends.”
I put the video together here at home and spent about a month sourcing as many photos as I could that captured the essence of everyone in the song.
AH: What do you hope people take away after listening and watching?
BJ: I hope that this song helps to keep the memory of these beautiful souls alive. We laboured over the lyrics – one verse each for Mark, David and Mary and a chorus to reflect Byron’s connection to all three and the community we all love. I hope that you feel the spirit of three beautiful souls in the song/images here and share it far and wide to all of those who knew and loved them.
AH: What’s next on the horizon for you?
BJ: I just keep writing and playing live. I would like to get over to the US again sometime and also play Europe. Meantime I am plotting a new album – The Wayside Ballads Vol 4.
Musicians on the song are Bill Jackson on vocals and acoustic guitar; Pete Fidlern on lap steel; Sergio Webb on guitars; Jack Irwin on organ; Dan Seymour on upright bass; and Ben & Julieanne Reel on backing vocals. It was recorded in Melbourne Australia by Bill Jackson with additional recording by Pete Fidler (Australia); Ben Reel (Ireland) and by Dan Seymour, Jon Gold, Sergio Webb and Jack Irwin (USA). It was mixed and mastered at Silvertone Recording Service by Jack Irwin, and produced by Bill Jackson and Jack Irwin.
The video was compiled and edited by Bill Jackson with images courtesy of Mark, David, Mary and Byron’s friends and family.
The tribute song is played with easy sounds and acoustic guitar, with Bill’s raw, genuine sounding vocals and a sorrowful vibe.
Find Bill Jackson on the web: https://linktr.ee/billjacksonaustralia
