Gordon Terry
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 | ||
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Live recording | |
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Status unknown |
Albums
- 1977: Disco Country
- 1981: Rockin 'Fiddle
- 1995: Lotta Lotta Women ( Bear Family )
Web links
- Gordon Terry in the All Music Guide
- Gordon Terry on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
- Discography with audio samples
- Appearance - "It Ain't Right"
- Photo of the Tennesseans
- Literature by and about Gordon Terry in the catalog of the German National Library
- Gordon Terry in the Internet Movie Database (English)
personal data | |
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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 |