Where Everybody Knows Your Name the Charles Brothers gave it their stamp of approval, and once Portnoy and Hart Angelo had complied with a request for a few lyric changes intended to broaden the song's appeal to a more general audience, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" was officially designated the "Theme from "Cheers"". The original opening verse: was changed to: After several months of mulling over possible outside singers, the producers eventually asked Gary Portnoy to record the vocal for the opening credits of their new series. (The chorus of the song is six of Portnoy’s vocals that he recorded one on top of the
Jerry Portnoy released an instructional package, "Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass", in 1997. In 2001, he released his second solo album, "Down in the Mood Room". Known for his dark, amplified tone, he has long been a favorite of both critics and peers. "The New York Times" (1987) said, "Mr. Portnoy crests like an alto saxophone." "Down Beat Magazine" (2002) said, "Portnoy has few equals as a harmonica player, blues or otherwise." Rick Estrin, a leading professional player as well, was quoted in "Blues Revue" (2002) as saying, "He can get so much sound out of that harp—such a beautiful, just enormous,