Gordon Terry

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Gordon Terry (born October 7, 1931 in Decatur , Alabama , † April 9, 2006 in Spring Hill, Tennessee ) was an American country musician . Terry's musical spectrum was broad; he played bluegrass and western swing , rockabilly and traditional honky tonk .

Life

Born in Alabama, Gordon Terry grew up in a large family. He learned to play the fiddle as a child and won several talent competitions. He first gained national fame when Terry joined the Grand Ole Opry as a Fiddler in 1950, at the age of only 19 . As a musician, he was also a member of various bands, including Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys and Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys . Terry stayed with the Opry for a total of eight years , with a break from his military service in Korea . In the meantime he had recorded a few records at various record labels. His most famous single was Wild Honey from 1957. In 1958 Terry moved to Los Angeles . In the same year he moved to RCA Victor , with whom he stayed until 1962. His first record appeared there with the rockabilly song It Ain't Right . Terry was at the same time a regular guest on various well-known television shows such as the Tex Ritters Ranch Party and the Town Hall Party in Compton , California , where he also served as a background musician. In the late 1950s he also played in a band called The Tennesseeans , alongside Terry from Billy Mize ( steel guitar , vocals ), Roy Lanham ( guitar ), Cliff Crofford ( bass ), Jimmy Wilson ( piano ) and Mike Fury ( Drums ). The Tennesseans performed at the Foothill Club in Long Beach until the early 1960s and also accompanied Terry at his appearances at the Town Hall Party.

Terry also appeared as an actor. He made his film debut in 1956 in the western Hidden Guns . He was also seen in the television series Sky Kings . In the late 1960s Terry moved to Tennessee , where he mainly worked as a background musician for stars such as Wanda Jackson , Johnny Cash , Neil Young and Merle Haggard . In 1977 he released the album Disco Country , followed by a second in 1981. In the same year Terry was inducted into the Fiddlers Hall of Fame along with Bob Wills .

Gordon Terry died in 2006 at the age of 74. He was married to his wife, Virginia Russell, for 57 years, with whom he had two daughters, Winter and Rhonda.

Discography

Singles

year title Label #
Hook Line and Sinker / You'll Regret Columbia 21484
1956 Keep Right on Talking / Maybe Columbia 21544
1957 Johnson's Old Gray Mule / Service With A Smile Cadence 1317
1957 Orange Blossom Special / Black Mountain Rag Cadence 1317
1957 Run Little Joey / Wild Honey Cadence 1334
1957 If You Don't Know It / I Lost Her To Somebody New Cadence 1343
1958 It Ain't Right / The Saddest Day RCA Victor 47-7428
1959 A Lotta Lotta Women / Lonely Road RCA Victor 47-7632
1960 Trouble on the Turnpike / Almost Alone RCA Victor 47-7741
1962 Wild Desire / Long Black Limousine RCA Victor 47-7989
1970 The Ballad of JC / Untanglin 'My Mind Capitol 2792
Unpublished titles
  • Blue Blue Day
  • White lighting
  • Wild Honey
 Live recording
  • Honky Tonk Man
  • Revenooer Man
 Status unknown

Albums

  • 1977: Disco Country
  • 1981: Rockin 'Fiddle
  • 1995: Lotta Lotta Women ( Bear Family )

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Terry, Gordon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American country musician
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Decatur , Alabama
DATE OF DEATH April 9, 2006
Place of death Spring Hill, Tennessee