A lot of people know Jerry Pentecost as the drummer who held down the backbeat for Old Crow Medicine Show in the early 2020s. What this conversation reveals is how much care that role required — and how hard it was to imagine walking away from it.
Jerry and I talked about the moment Bob Dylan came calling, and how it didn’t arrive as some cinematic no‑brainer. It came with weight. Doubt. With a real sense of loyalty to a band that had become family. He speaks honestly about how difficult it was to consider leaving Old Crow — not because he didn’t recognize the magnitude of the opportunity, but because he did.
From there, the talk opens up into something bigger: what it means to build a life in music one decision at a time. Jerry talks about growing up in a low‑income home in Nashville, about the drums quite literally expanding the radius of his world, and about the years of saying yes to gigs that didn’t look like much at the time but added up to something real.
This is a conversation about craft, community, and doing your time in the trenches. We get into what its like being one of the few Black faces in Americana, how he approaches music direction, and the importance of making people feel seen (hint: bring donuts). If you’re trying to build a creative life — one that’s honest and sustainable — Jerry’s story is going to help. It helped me.
If you’ve seen Morse Code — the TV pilot I wrote that inspired this podcast — Jerry’s in the opening scene, playing drums behind Simon at Robert’s in downtown Nashville. Here’s a shot we snapped after filming: Nick Bearden, me, Jerry, and Joshua Hedley. (Note to self: get Hedley on the pod).
If you prefer, you can watch this conversation on Youtube.
→ New! If you’re a paid subscriber, this year I started a new segment called After the Conversation where I pull back the curtain and share my personal take on each week’s episode—what stayed with me, what surprised me, and why I think it matters. click here to check it out.
Thanks for listening, as always.
~ Korby
