The Man Who Sees With Musical Vision

A Man of Musical Vision
In Tune with San Clemente
Jerry Velasco



In 1962 he stood overlooking the San Clemente cliffs and made
his decision. Jerry Velasco, Hollywood entertainer, decided
to get out of the LA rat race. He moved to San Clemente
to give his family a better life.
Later, it proved an even bigger destiny.

Jerry met Buddy Cole, pianist, and accompanist for the likes of
Phil Harris, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. San Clemente
was Cole’s get-away spot. He’d invite friends like Jerry here.
San Clemente started pulling on Jerry’s soul. “I immediately
fell in love with San Clemente as most people do. When I saw
the tranquility here, I likened it to the feeling I had in Hawaii.
Nothing was rushed. Everything was beautiful.”

Another Cole had a major influence on Jerry - Nat King. “He
was my musical hero.” But Jerry’s sister Maria was first.
“I marveled at what she did. I’d sit back, listen and watch
her practice and practice. That’s how I came to know the
piano. Maria was my idol and inspiration.”

Jerry, Buddy, and friends went to the San Clemente Inn every
weekend for jam sessions on their beautiful, grand piano.
They got so popular, the owner approached Jerry and said,
“People want to come listen to you. Since you’re down here
every week, why don’t I hire you?” Back then, San Clemente
Inn was THE “in” spot in South Orange County.
Jerry became a local legend.

Like most heroes, Jerry doesn’t believe he’s one. “I admire
people who put their lives on the line for mankind, like
fireman, policemen, marines, the military. They put their
whole body and soul and body into helping mankind.”
But Jerry too, performs heroically every week, Thursday
evenings at Molly Bloom’s and weekends at Sarduci’s.
He’s performed in San Clemente for 46 years!
That’s heroic.
What is even more heroic, is the level he wants to take
San Clemente to. That began ten years after he moved here.

In 1972, Jerry was again in the hills of San Clemente
watching a performance. A Hollywood producer for Disney,
Norman Wright, wrote a play called “La Cristianita Pageant,”
depicting the history of San Clemente. Norman asked
Jerry to write the music. Jerry wrote a perfect opening number,
“On Our Mission We Go,” as priests and soldiers came down
from the hills to the village. Jerry put in comic relief as
entertainment heroes do, with a song about three
grumbling, homesick soldiers called
“When I Dream of Home.”

That’s when Jerry got bit by the Amp bug. “I have ambitions
as most people do. My big, burning ambition is AFTA (the
San Clemente Amphitheater).
I don’t want credit for that. All I want is to get it done.”

Big dreams aren’t easy. Over the years the Amphitheater
got amped up and amped down. That didn’t discourage Jerry.
“This is just another fly in the ointment. I don’t let those
things drag me down. If I were the type of person to grumble
about adversity, I’d be grumbling all the time. That’s no fun.”

“With a major-league Amphitheater, we can offer the world a
lot,” said Jerry. “To me, the spot is critical. There’s a lot to
be done, but the biggest hurdle we’ve had, is already taken
care of - to get engineers on the site. Once people see a
model and say, ‘Oh isn’t that beautiful,’ then San Clementians
will be able to share in that dream.”

When the Amphitheater is built and San Clemente opens its
door to the outdoors, Jerry has a song ready for us.
“Long Ago and Far Away. I dreamed a dream one day.
Now this dream is here beside me.” “I always thought it’d
be Nixon that put San Clemente on the map and he did,
but not like an Amphitheater would. It’d bring Broadway
productions to our city.”

Jerry Velasco - the musical hero of San Clemente. He doesn’t
save lives in the traditional sense. He saves a piece of people’s
souls through the power of music. Maybe no other realm
has as camaraderie as music. “Perhaps one of the reasons
I’ve become fairly successful is I invite people to join me,”
says Jerry. “I love to see people perform and give them as
much encouragement as I can. I love to make them feel
there’s an orchestra behind them. People may have spent
their week in toils or troubles. When they come to listen,
it’s time to relax, let their hair down.”

All things start with a vision. Jerry’s vision to share
entertainment joy will reach out into a glorious legacy
like the ancient Greeks. “It’ll be one of the biggest joys
of my life, to know it’s finally here,” Jerry says.

Perhaps one day Jerry will become an even bigger legend,
known as the “dreamer” of the San Clemente Amphitheater.
Where countless performers of all ages entertain on stage,
courtesy of Jerry’s dream. Instead of inviting a few performers
to share the stage, vast numbers of talented performers,
for generations upon generations, will “display their wares”
and continue to give the world
that entertainment joy.

Live like a hero!

Terri Marie

Terri Marie is an award-winning author of
“Be the Hero of Your Own Game.”

Jerry’s Lessons

• Music brings people together
“People are the main reason I was put on this earth.
To make people happy.”

• Develop your talents
“The man upstairs gave different talents to different people.
It’s up to them to take that talent and put it to good use.
I feel fortunate that I’ve been given musical talent and the
ability to get people to enjoy themselves and enjoy life.”

• There is enough to go around
Jerry shares the stage “Everybody has a need to be able
to display their wares. If my stage is a place where they’re
able to do that, I’m willing to have
them come up and be in the spotlight.”

• Hold on fast to that dream
“There are people that are going to oppose what I’m doing.
I know that’s going to happen regardless of the project.”
Jerry keeps feeding his dream.

• You can’t make people happy but you can try
“I dislike being around people that grumble all the time.
I’m a happy person and I want to bring happiness to people.
If there’s something they want to complain about, I’ll try to
turn their thoughts to something more pleasant..”

• Jerry’s advise to youngsters of all ages
“Whatever you dream about doing, try to take the best steps
possible to get to there. There’s always going to be pitfalls.
Things aren’t always going to be the way you want. But if you
have enough patience, will and gumption,
and you want it badly enough, then it’ll happen.”

• Love Everybody
Jerry loves everybody. That does two things. Makes them
feel good. And also helps him mind his own business.
I think it's great advice.