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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZTERRY, Sonny(b Saunders Terrell, 24 Oct. '11, Greensboro NC; d 11 March '86) Blues singer, harmonica player. Sang at Baptist tent meetings as a child; lost his sight in the '20s one eye at a time in accidents; often worked and recorded with Blind Boy Fuller '34--8 on Vocalion, ARC group; for Library of Congress '38, again '42; John Hammond's Spirituals to Swing concerts '38--9 at Carnegie Hall (tracks with Bull City Red on washboard on Vanguard), with Fuller and Oh Red (the same Red, his real name George Washington) '40 on OKeh. Worked almost continuously with Brownie McGhee from '39 as a duo (even though they didn't get along very well), incl. '42 LoC records; first records together '41 on OKeh. Many of the early bluesmen who were rediscovered after years of neglect (Bukka White, Skip James etc) had lost none of their earthy strength; the delicate Piedmont style of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee suffered somewhat in authenticity over the years, according to purists at any rate, because they were so successful. Francis Davis tells a story in The History Of The Blues '95: they had roles as strolling blues singers in the original cast of the Tennessee Williams play Cat On A Hot Tin Roof; 'It was explained to them that since their songs served as cues to the actors, they would have to sing them the same way every night. They said they couldn't possibly do that, then quickly changed their minds when they found out how much they would be paid for sticking to the script.' Terry also worked with Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, recorded with Stick McGhee (see Brownie's entry) on Atlantic '50, with a jook band in NYC '52, solo and duo recordings on a great many labels, mostly out of print. They made three LPs on Storyville in Copenhagen '71, one duo and one each solo; also Sonny's Story, Brownie's Blues, Sonny Is King!, At The Second Fret on Prestige; At Sugar Hill, Back To New Orleans, Midnight Special and California Blues on Fantasy; others on Folkways, Stinson, Archive of Folk, etc. Whoopin'! '84 on Alligator had Terry with Johnny Winter and Willie Dixon. |