Tony Terry
Encyclopedia
Tony Terry is an American
soul
/new jack swing
singer
from Washington, D.C.
, who had several R&B
hits
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
in Washington. He landed backing vocalist
jobs for the R&B/pop
group
, Sweet Sensation
, and hip-hop
group The Boogie Boys. In 1987, he signed a recording contract
with Epic
/CBS Records
. Terry's first single
, "She's Fly", was released the same year, and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard
R&B singles chart
. Forever Yours, Terry's debut album
for Epic, was released in 1988, and reached the Top 40 of Billboards R&B albums chart
. The follow-up single, "Lovey Dovey", reached number four on the R&B charts, and "Forever Yours" climbed into the R&B Top 20.
Terry's second album, a self-titled release, included the single "With You" (his biggest hit) which reached the Top 20 of the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
, as well as the Top 10 on the R&B chart. "Everlasting Love", was a number-six R&B hit. After leaving Epic, Terry moved over to Virgin Records
. His debut album for that label
was 1994's Heart Of A Man. The single, "When A Man Cries", just managed the R&B Top 40, but the album was a commercial failure. The following year, Terry contributed background vocals
on the single "Gotta Have Love", from Yolanda Adams
's album More Than a Melody
. He also appeared in the video
. Terry has performed on the soundtrack
s to Gladiator
starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.
, Tap
starring Gregory Hines
and King's Ransom
starring Anthony Anderson
. In 1991, Terry earned two Soul Train Music Award nominations: Single of the Year
and Artist of the Year for "With You".
His video for "With You" was produced by the legendary singer, Anita Baker and directed by Blair Underwood, who made a cameo appearance.
Terry is currently working on a new independent CD to be released in early 2012.
; Mama, I Want To Sing David E. Talbert
's His Woman, His Wife, co-starring Stephanie Mills
; and more recently the national tour of Tall Dark and Handsome. The Wiz National Tour as the Tin Man
Currently Mr. Terry is touring in the hilariuos stage production "Cheezecake Boyz and The Diva". Mr Terry has also been seen in Lavarious A. Slaughter's Love Unbreakable which will begin it's national tour in February 2012.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, who had several R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Singing
Terry is a graduate at the Duke Ellington School of the ArtsDuke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Edward...
in Washington. He landed backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
jobs for the R&B/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation was a Puerto Rican female freestyle-dance music trio from The Bronx, New York.-History:Formed in 1986, In The Bronx . The original group members were Betty LeBron and sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez. Originally on Next Plateau Records, in 1988 they were picked up by Atco and...
, and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group The Boogie Boys. In 1987, he signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
/CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
. Terry's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "She's Fly", was released the same year, and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B singles chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. Forever Yours, Terry's debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
for Epic, was released in 1988, and reached the Top 40 of Billboards R&B albums chart
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
. The follow-up single, "Lovey Dovey", reached number four on the R&B charts, and "Forever Yours" climbed into the R&B Top 20.
Terry's second album, a self-titled release, included the single "With You" (his biggest hit) which reached the Top 20 of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, as well as the Top 10 on the R&B chart. "Everlasting Love", was a number-six R&B hit. After leaving Epic, Terry moved over to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. His debut album for that label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
was 1994's Heart Of A Man. The single, "When A Man Cries", just managed the R&B Top 40, but the album was a commercial failure. The following year, Terry contributed background vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
on the single "Gotta Have Love", from Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
's album More Than a Melody
More Than a Melody
More Than a Melody is the fourth studio album by gospel singer Yolanda Adams. More Than a Melody included singles such as "Gotta Have Love" and the Steve Miller classic "Fly Like An Eagle." The album also includes musical collaborations with the late O'Landa Draper on "The Good Shepherd" and BeBe...
. He also appeared in the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. Terry has performed on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s to Gladiator
Gladiator (1992 film)
Gladiator is a 1992 sport film, directed by Rowdy Herrington, and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Marshall, Brian Dennehy, and Robert Loggia. The film tells the story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to pay off gambling debts accumulated by his...
starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba M. Gooding, Jr. is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's 1996 film Jerry Maguire, and his critically acclaimed performance as Tré Styles in John Singleton's 1991 film Boyz n the Hood.-Early life:Gooding was born...
, Tap
Tap (film)
Tap is a 1989 film drama written and directed by Nick Castle. It stars Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr.-Plot:Max Washington, just released from prison after serving time for burglary, is a talented tap dancer...
starring Gregory Hines
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
and King's Ransom
King's Ransom
King's Ransom is a 2005 comedy film, directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd and written by Wayne Conley, who was a writer for Kenan & Kel.-Plot:Malcolm King is a wealthy, selfish, obnoxious businessman who is about to divorce his wife Renee...
starring Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
. In 1991, Terry earned two Soul Train Music Award nominations: Single of the Year
Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Male
The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Male The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Male The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Male (sometimes awarded as Best Single - Male or Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Male:...
and Artist of the Year for "With You".
His video for "With You" was produced by the legendary singer, Anita Baker and directed by Blair Underwood, who made a cameo appearance.
Terry is currently working on a new independent CD to be released in early 2012.
Acting
Terry was featured in Sisterella, co-produced by Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
; Mama, I Want To Sing David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert is an American playwright.. Talbert is a graduate of Morgan State University and attended the New York University film program....
's His Woman, His Wife, co-starring Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Mills
Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times...
; and more recently the national tour of Tall Dark and Handsome. The Wiz National Tour as the Tin Man
Currently Mr. Terry is touring in the hilariuos stage production "Cheezecake Boyz and The Diva". Mr Terry has also been seen in Lavarious A. Slaughter's Love Unbreakable which will begin it's national tour in February 2012.
Chart singles
| Title | Release date |
U.S. R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|---|---|---|---|
| "She's Fly" | 1987 | 1 | 80 |
| "Forever Yours" | 1988 | 16 | 80 |
| "Lovey Dovey" | 1988 | 2 | - |
| "Young Love" | 1988 | 88 | - |
| "Head Over Heels" | 1990 | 13 | - |
| "Everlasting Love" | 1991 | 6 | 81 |
| "That Kind of Guy" | 1991 | 38 | - |
| "With You" | 1991 | 1 | 14 |
| "When a Man Cries" | 1994 | 32 | - |
| "Heart of a Man" | 1995 | 86 | - |
Chart albums
| Title | Release date |
U.S. R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forever Yours Forever Yours (Tony Terry album) Forever Yours is the debut album by R&B singer Tony Terry. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard R&B Albums charts-Track list:# Forever Yours# Lovey Dovey# Fulltime Girl# Day Dreaming# Here With Me# She's Fly# Wassup Wit U... |
1987 | 27 | 151 |
| Tony Terry Tony Terry (album) Released in 1990, The singles "With You" and Everlasting Love would both chart on the R&B singles chart at number six.-Track listing:#Head Over Heeles 5:41 #Bad Girl 5:11 #Baby Love 5:10 #Friends And Lovers 4:21 #With You 5:05... |
1991 | 35 | 184 |
| Heart of a Man Heart Of A Man -Track listing:# When A Man Cries# When Will I See You Again# Save Your Love# I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know# Heart Of A Man# Don't Give Up A Good Man# Surrender# Can't Let Go# My Prayer# I'm Sorry... |
1994 | 47 | - |
| Changed! | 2006 | 54 | - |
See also
- List of New Jack Swing artists
- List of 1990s one-hit wonders in the United States
- Hi-top fadeHi-top fadeA hi-top fade is a style of haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short and hair on the top of the head is very long . The hi-top has been a trend symbolizing the Golden Era of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the late 1980s and the early 1990s...