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Just A Mortal Man - The Jerry Lawson Story

Jerry Lawson was the original lead singer of the legendary a cappella group The Persuasions, first discovered by Frank Zappa in the early '70s. During his 40-year tenure with the group, Jerry recorded 24 albums, toured internationally and sang alongside Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, among others.

Stream now with KPBS Passport on KPBS+ / Watch Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2

Jerry Lawson was the original lead singer of the legendary a cappella group The Persuasions, first discovered by Frank Zappa in the early '70s. During his 40-year tenure with the group, Jerry recorded 24 albums, toured internationally and sang alongside Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, among others.

Barry Richards introduces Jerry and The Persuasions in one of their early TV appearances. Jerry discusses how hard it was for a group with no band to break into show business. The Persuasions’ first manager David Dashev speaks about how unique the group was, LA journalist Rip Rense speaks about how well David Dashev managed them, and Jerry gives a very brief history of a cappella.

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Jerry and The Persuasions are booked for their first tour abroad and Jerry needs to get a passport. Not having a copy of his birth certificate leads to a startling revelation.

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