Meet Jerry Pentecost | Drummer, DJ, Life & Style Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jerry Pentecost and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jerry, if you are a parent, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve done as a parent in terms of the impact on your children?

Being present and showing my twin girls what hard work can amount to. I feel very fortunate to make a living as a musician and to model what achieving your dreams can look like for them. I didn’t grow up with my real dad and my moms passed when I was 13. I had to figure out alotta things on my own because I didn’t have someone showing me what hard work and success looked like in the music industry.
Beyond that, I try to give them as much of my time as possible. It’s not always easy to do because I work for myself and often gone long stretches for tour. It requires me to be more intentional with my time. My wife and I talk about it with them and we even made a book so they understand what tour is and what I do when I’m gone.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

So besides raising these babies? (I definitely consider myself a professional dad, ha) I wear alotta hats. I’m in the entertainment business- I’m a musician, an MC, a DJ for the Nashville Preds and a commissioner for the Municipal Auditorium.. Making a living as a musician has its challenges and it never really gets any easier; the obstacles just change. From landing the gig to staying sharp to keep it, you’re always on your toes. You also have to decide if the gig aligns with your career goals and where you ultimately want to end up. At this stage in my life, I still stay steady grinding! You never know when a gig’s gonna come up and I’m a yes person so… I wanna do all the gigs but as I mentioned, time is everything. I speed a decent amount of everyday working on something- it could be making a DJ mix for a client in LA or learning some songs on drums for an upcoming tour. It’s all work to me and I love it.
I love the show element of playing live the most. You have to find something that’s unique to you and make it part of your craft. If you do it right, you’ll leave a memorable impression on those who watch without taking away from the music. I knew from an early age that playing music was the career path for me and while my goals have changed over the years, I never gave up and continue working to better my skills everyday.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s so many new things and a lot of the places I loved are all gone. Nashville is still growing so much but as an OG, here are my spots, old and new:
National Museum of African American Music Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Ryman (if I’m playing, that’s a bonus!)
For food,there’s too many but my go tos:
Gourmet Donuts in Mt. Juliet
The Smiling Elephant
Mitchell’s Deli
Oscar’s Taco Shop
Mas Tacos,
Gabby’s
Bailey & Cato’s
Def gotta catch a Preds game when I’m DJing.
Grab a Bushwacker from Broadway Brewhouse and hit up Robert’s.
Gotta include the fam too so we might check out the Frist. If it’s Tuesday, then we’ll be at Nectar to see Mr. Steve. Also love feeding the ducks at Cedar Hill Park and strolling through Cheekwood.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife! She’s my rock and helps keep me focused in so many ways! She’s the most empathetic and caring person I’ve ever known and I’d be lost without her. She’s also an integral part of the decision making when it comes to my career. She never sugarcoats anything so I know I can trust her. A solid partner in crime and my ride or die. She’s also competitive like I am so it keeps the balance in the house pretty level. I’ve yet to beat her at Horse… yet somehow, we still make it work.

Instagram: @jerrypentecost

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerry.pentecost.9?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Kit Wood and Brooke Stevens