Jerry Ford to present Great American Songbook concert

Jerry Ford will be singing Great American Songbook standards at a concert at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, in Shuck Recital Hall at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau.

The concert is called "For the Ladies", and Ford will be singing classic American love songs and be accompanied on piano by Beverly Reece.

Ford, a trumpet player and leader of the Jerry Ford Orchestra, has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest since 1957.

Ford said he never considered himself much of a singer but after several years of being encouraged to do a vocal concert, he finally decided to do it.

"Over the years, people have told me I have a nice voice and need to sing more, and I just kind of shrug my shoulders and move on," Ford said. "But I got to thinking one day, maybe I'll just sing a little bit, do a concert for the women because they've always been big supporters."

Ford said most will recognize all the songs he will be performing, including "I Remember You" written by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer, "Wind Beneath My Wings" written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley and "As Time Goes By" written by Herman Hupfeld.

Admission is free and Ford said he will have a limited number of CDs available of the songs he and Reece perform at the concert.