Jeremiah Griffin Harrison, born February 21, 1949, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known professionally as Jerry Harrison, is an American musician, record producer, and songwriter best known as the keyboardist and guitarist for the new-wave group Talking Heads. He began his professional career in 1971 with The Modern Lovers, appearing on their self-titled debut album recorded in 1972 and released in 1976, before leaving the band in 1974 to pursue a master's degree in architecture at Harvard University. In 1977, Harrison joined Talking Heads, contributing to albums including Remain in Light (1980) and Speaking in Tongues (1983), co-writing several tracks, and performing in the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense. During his tenure with Talking Heads, he released three solo albums: The Red and the Black (1981), Casual Gods (1988), and Walk on Water (1990). His 1988 single "Rev It Up" reached number 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Following the 1991 disbandment of Talking Heads, Harrison focused on record production for acts including Violent Femmes, Live, and The Verve Pipe, and co-founded the online music community GarageBand.com in 1999. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads in 2002.
