During World War II his father was in the RAF and was stationed at Jurby on the Isle of Man, where Jerry and his mother visited during their holidays.

He moved to the Isle of Man permanently in 1968 when he took up a job as a teacher at Demense Road and then Peel Clothworkers' School where he spent the rest of his career.

[2] Colin Jerry's main musical interests when he moved to the island was New Orleans Jazz, and he came to play trumpet for the Garff City Stompers, and also occasionally for the Tholtan Builders.

By hand Jerry wrote out the staves, lyrics and a few illustrations for an Isle of Man Board of Education Local Studies Project, photocopied and made up into a booklet entitled Kiaull ny Manninee in 1977, which, in an expanded form, came to form Kiaull yn Theay ('Music of the Folk'), which was published by Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh ('Manx Language Society') in 1978.

[1] It has been reckoned that these books "have, without a doubt, formed the single most significant contribution to the promotion of Manx Music since its revival.

[1] Jerry was also highly involved in the reorganisation of Yn Chruinnaght in 1977 and also in Manx participation in Inter-Celtic Festivals off the island.

He worked with Robert Corteen Carswell, David Fisher and Cristl Jerry to create programmes that included short plays, comic sketches and documentaries.

[5] In 1976 Jerry contributed short stories to Skeealaght, subtitled Shiartanse dy skeealyn ass beeal-arrish ny shenn Vanninee as jeh deiney elley ('Some stories from the oral tradition of the old Manx people and from other people'), published by Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh.

[5] From 1976 Jerry began working on a series of short stories in Manx which satirised the political events of the Isle of Man at the time.

The beginning paragraph gives an indication of his style:[5] Feer foddey er dy henney, roish my screeu ad skeeal erbee, as tra va deiney as beiyn loayrt rish nyn geilley as baghey cooidjagh ayns shee, va ellan beg ayn.

On the evening of 19 December 2008 Colin Jerry was performing Manx music on the uilleann pipes at the Tynwald Hill Inn pub in St John's.