Gerald was born in Racine, Wisconsin. His father Benjamin, a guitarist and his initial inspiration, bought him his first electric guitar at the tender age of 10. He started playing bass in his father’s group, ‘The Gospel Expressions’, and has never stopped. Gerald met Milt Hinton, jazz great, at The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. The meeting changed Gerald’s college major from physical education to music and also changed his entire life. Gerald moved to Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, where he studied jazz bass, piano, and classical bass for the next four years. Marquette University also taught art to Gerald, who discovered a love for painting and a natural talent. Gerald started his career as a musical director alongside Penny Goodwin, his mentor and singer. This experience was the catalyst for the formation of Gerald Cannon’s Jazz Elements quintet, which established a solid reputation for him as a leader in the music industry and a composer. Gerald moved to New York City at the age of 28. He began playing bass in the subway, and jamming at The Blue Note with Winard and Russell Malone.
