The Malaco Music Group

For the last ten years Jerry Mannery has served as the Executive Director of the Gospel Division of the Malaco Music Group, Jackson, MS. At Malaco he oversees promotion, production, artist relation, and the day to day operation of the division.


He serves on the Board of Directors of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the American Gospel Quartet Convention, and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. He is a voting member of The Grammy organization - NARAS, where he serves as 2nd Vice President of the Memphis Chapter. For the last eight years he has served on the Grammy’s National Screening Committee for Gospel music.


Mannery was born in Detroit, MI, but grew up in Florence, Ms. He majored in Journalism and English Literature at Tougaloo College and Jackson State University. While at Jackson State he met his mentor, Margaret Walker Alexander noted author of “ For My People “ and “ Jubilee “. It was at her encouragement that he shifted his focus from writing poetry to lyrics. Over the years he has written over 100 songs, several books of poetry, as well as several books for children. His songs have been recorded by the likes of The Jackson Southernaires, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Dorothy Norwood, Rev. James Moore, The Mississippi Children Choir, The Pilgrim Jubilees, The Sensational Nightingales, the Angelic Gospel Singers and R&B legend Johnnie Taylor.


He is the founder of The Mississippi Children’s Choir, as well as a founding Executive Board member of The Mississippi Mass Choir, where he presently serves as Executive Director.


In 1995, Mannery became the first African-American to retire from the Jackson, MS Fire Department. He was named Fireman of the Year in 1991 and 1994.


In 2003 he received The Gospel Music Workshop of America, Founder’s Award; named in honor of the convention founder, Rev. James Cleveland.


He and his wife of twenty-six years, Sharon, have two children, Yanci and Jerron ; students at Emory University and the University of Southern MS.


An active member of his church, Anderson United Methodist, he has served as Stewardship Chairperson for the last five years. Notwithstanding all of the aforementioned, his crowning moment came in January 2003 when he accepted his call into the Gospel Ministry.