Terry Callier: Difference between revisions

| name = Terry Callier

| image = Terrycallier.jpg

| alt = Callier onstage singing

| caption = Callier in 2008

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = Terrence Orlando Callier<ref>{{cite web |url=http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=4419085&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID |title=BMI : Repertoire Search |publisher=Repertoire.bmi.com |access-date=April 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111104928/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=4419085&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID |archive-date=January 11, 2016 }}</ref>

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|5|24}}

| birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], United StatesU.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|10|27|1945|5|24}}

| death_place = Chicago, UnitedIllinois, StatesU.S.

| origin = Chicago, U.S.

| instrument = Vocals, guitar, piano

| genre = {{hlist|[[Soul music|Soul]]|[[folk music|folk]]|[[jazz]]|[[blues]]<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/album/occasional-rain-mw0000741253</ref>|[[soul jazzfunk]]<ref>{{cite newsweb |authorlast1=AdamStubbs Sweeting|first1=Dan |title=Singer-songwriter and Massive Attack collaborator Terry Callier dies |url=https://www.theguardiannme.com/news/music/2012/oct/30/terry-callier-1248692 |titlewebsite=Terry Callier obituary &#124; MusicNME |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=April29 26,October 20202012}}</ref>}}

| occupation = Singer-songwriter, [[computer programmer]]

| years_active = 1962–1983, 1991–2012

| label =

| associated_acts =

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members =

'''Terrence Orlando "Terry" Callier''' (May 24, 1945 – October 27, 2012) was an American [[soul music|soul]], [[Folk music|folk]] and [[jazz]] guitarist and singer-songwriter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mundovibe.com/terry-callier-passes-away/ |title=Terry Callier Passes Away : MundoVibe &#124; World Music & Visual Culture &#124; Download Free Music |publisher=MundoVibe |date=MayOctober 228, 19452012|access-date=October 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031011800/http://mundovibe.com/terry-callier-passes-away/ |archive-date=October 31, 2012 }}</ref>

Callier was born in the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in the [[Cabrini–Green]] housing area. He learned piano, was a childhood friend of [[Curtis Mayfield]], [[Major Lance]] and [[Jerry Butler (singer)|Jerry Butler]], and began singing in [[doo-wop]] groups in his teens. In 1962, he took an audition at [[Chess Records]], where he recorded his debut single, "Look at Me Now".<ref name=guardian>{{cite webnews|author=Will Hodgkinson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/oct/15/folk.jazz |title=Interview with Terry Callier &#124; Music |websitenewspaper=Theguardian.comThe Guardian |date=October 15, 2004 |access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> At the same time as attending college, he then began performing in folk clubs and coffee houses in Chicago, becoming strongly influenced by the music of [[John Coltrane]].<ref name=jazzusa>{{cite web |url=http://jazzusa.com/stories/tcallier.htm |publisher=Jazzusa.com |title=Terry Callier – Reluctant Musician |access-date=April 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131094637/http://www.jazzusa.com/stories/tcallier.htm |archive-date=January 31, 2013 }}</ref> During this period, he briefly performed in a duo with [[David Crosby]] in Chicago and [[New York City]].

He met [[Samuel Charters]] of [[Prestige Records]] in 1964, and; the following year, they recorded his debut album. Charters then took the tapes away with him into the Mexican desert, and the album was eventually released in 1968 as ''[[The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier]]''.<ref name=guardian/><ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|author=Jason Ankeny |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/terry-callier-mn0000027916/biography |title=Terry Callier &#124; Biography |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> Two of Callier's songs, "Spin, Spin, Spin" and "It's About Time", were recorded by the [[psychedelic rock]] band [[H. P. Lovecraft (band)|H. P. Lovecraft]] in 1968, as part of their ''[[H. P. Lovecraft II]]'' album.<ref name=unterberger>{{cite web|author=Richie Unterberger |url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/hplove.html |title=H.P. Lovecraft/H.P. Lovecraft II Liner Notes LOVECRAFT II |publisher=Richieunterberger.com |date=May 1, 1968|access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> H. P. Lovecraft featured fellow Chicago folk club stalwart [[Ethan Kenning|George Edwards]], who would go on to co-produce several tracks for Callier in 1969.<ref name=unterberger/>

He continued to perform in Chicago, and; in 1970, he joined the Chicago Songwriters Workshop set up by Jerry Butler. He and partner Larry Wade wrote material for Chess and its subsidiary [[Cadet Records|Cadet]] label, including [[The Dells]]' 1972 hit "The Love We Had Stays on My Mind", as a result of which he was awarded his own recording contract with Cadet as a singer-songwriter. Three critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums followed, produced by [[Charles Stepney]]: ''[[Occasional Rain]]'' (1972), ''[[What Color Is Love]]'' (1972), and ''[[I Just Can't Help Myself]]'' (19741973). These demonstrated that Callier's influences included R&Bsoul, souljazz, [[funk]], [[psychedelia]], and jazz[[classical music]]. Subsequently, he toured with [[George Benson]], [[Gil Scott-Heron]] and others. Cadet and its parent label [[Chess Records|Chess]] were sold in 1976 and Callier was then dropped from the label. The Songwriters Workshop closed in 1976. The following year, he signed a new contract with [[Elektra Records]], releasing the albums ''Fire On Ice'' (1977) and ''Turn You to Love'' (1978).<ref name=allmusic/><ref name=myspace>{{cite web|url=https://www.myspace.com/terrycallier |title=Terry Callier &#124; Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos |publisher=Myspace.com |access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> The opening track of the latter album, "Sign Of The Times", was used as the theme tune of radio DJ [[Frankie Crocker]] and became Callier's only US chart success, reaching # 78 on the [[R&B chart]] in 1979 and prompting his appearance at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]].<ref name=allmusic/><ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=62}}</ref>

On June 25, 2019, ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'' listed Terry Callier amongdied hundredsfrom ofcancer artistson whoseOctober material27, was2012, reportedlyaged destroyed in the [[2008 Universal fire]]67.<ref name="Rosen2"mundovibe>{{cite news |last1=Rosen |first1=Jody |title=HereTerry AreCallier, HundredsSinger Moreand Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in theSongwriter, UMGDies Fireat 67|url=https://www.nytimes.com/20192012/0610/2531/magazinearts/universal-music/terry-callier-singer-and-firesongwriter-bandsdies-listat-umg67.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=JuneOctober 2831, 20192012 |datelast1=JuneSisario 25,|first1=Ben 2019}}</ref>

* ''[[The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier]]'' ([[Prestige Records|Prestige]], 19651968)

* ''[[Fire on Ice]]'' ([[Elektra Records|Elektra]], 1978)

* ''[[Turn You to Love]]'' (Elektra, 1979)

[[Category:SingersTerry fromCallier| Chicago]]

[[Category:American1945 rhythm and blues singer-songwritersbirths]]

[[Category:American2012 male singer-songwritersdeaths]]

[[Category:American souljazz guitarists]]

[[Category:AmericanBlue jazzThumb guitaristsRecords artists]]

[[Category:MCADeaths Recordsfrom artistscancer in Illinois]]

[[Category:20th-centuryMCA AmericanRecords male musiciansartists]]

[[Category:Blue Thumb RecordsPolyGram artists]]

[[Category:TerryUniversal Callier|Records artists]]