He was a member of the band Skylark in the early 1970s, and in later years performed and recorded as a baritone backup singer for artists such as Mavis Staples.

He and Al Foreman formed a group called "Donny Gerrard and the Checkmates" after the latter heard him sing at church community event in 1961.

He subsequently had a sojourn in Hawaii with another band, before coming back to Canada and reuniting with Foreman in Night Train Revue as its bassist for the next two years.

[3] Gerrard successfully auditioned as lead vocalist for Skylark in the early 1970s, with his performance leaving an impression on David Foster.

He would also contribute vocals to Foster's charity single "Tears Are Not Enough," sung by a cavalcade of Canadian celebrities to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia.

[10] He sang backup for Mavis Staples on her album One True Vine,[11][12] and at live performances, including at the Lincoln Center in 2014.