Family Inspirations
Terri Clark lived with loving people who had a passion for music and being raised around country style music made it her passion as well and her goal to become a country artist. Her mother played guitar to her every night and sang folk songs at coffee houses. Her mom played guitar and sang songs to her every night and then Terri herself picked up the guitar.
Her grandparents, Ray and Betty Gautier used to perform shows for artists like Johnny Cash, George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens. Even thought they stopped performances before Terri was born, she has that connection to country music. All her life she wanted to become a country artist. Her grandparents raised five children and played country music in Montreal Nightclubs. She says they had names like the Kit Kat and the Western Stop. Her grandmother's nickname around Montreal was "The Canadian Kitty Wells." Songs of "Classic" were songs that Terri began her singing career at as a child with her grandparents. She has living room parties with her grandparents and sang things like “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” and "I'm Movin' On," by "The Singing Ranger," who was Hank Snow, the first member who is Canadian in the Grand Ole Opry. Her grandfather would play his fiddle and his grandmother would sing. She said, "it felt like the whole neighborhood joined in." This was her life and this was the life that she enjoyed.
Her grandparents, Ray and Betty Gautier used to perform shows for artists like Johnny Cash, George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens. Even thought they stopped performances before Terri was born, she has that connection to country music. All her life she wanted to become a country artist. Her grandparents raised five children and played country music in Montreal Nightclubs. She says they had names like the Kit Kat and the Western Stop. Her grandmother's nickname around Montreal was "The Canadian Kitty Wells." Songs of "Classic" were songs that Terri began her singing career at as a child with her grandparents. She has living room parties with her grandparents and sang things like “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” and "I'm Movin' On," by "The Singing Ranger," who was Hank Snow, the first member who is Canadian in the Grand Ole Opry. Her grandfather would play his fiddle and his grandmother would sing. She said, "it felt like the whole neighborhood joined in." This was her life and this was the life that she enjoyed.
Her mother sang to her every night, with songs such as "Daddy Frank" and "Brand New Key." When she was nine, her mother showed her how to play three strings on a guitar and after that her interest and passion led her to learning how to play the guitar all by herself. As she grew up, she became more and more certain that she will become a country artist. Her mother was very close to her and supported her always with her dream to become a country artist. “My mom would tell me stories about how she would hear my grandmother walking around the house, vacuuming and cleaning, singing Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells,” Terri says.
Friend Inspirations
On an interview, Terri says that a family member said that when her grandmother was singing "This White Circle on My Finger," which was one of the top ten hits that the artist, "Wells" sung after Terri's favorite song "Honky Tonk Angels" was released and that opened the doors wide open for women who wanted to sing country music so bad. The recordings that began were the recordings of "Classic." Then, Paul Franklin, a pedal-steel player joined with Terri to play for her version of "Honky Tonk Angels" in her own country-style way. She said that she tried hard to pick music from the '50s to the '80s to sort of make her own tune. She says that her sound begins with the "hardcore of the honky-tonk of Merle Haggard" and the California country-rock of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Terri also says that "Classic" has many influential people such as Tanya Tucker and Reba McEntire, who each worked with Terri to create versions of their hits in duets. Her friends Jann Arden, Dierks Bentley and Dean Brody also sing with her and that all her friends singing with her are great inspirations to her. Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn are friends on "Classic" with her and also inspire her very much.
Friend Inspirations
On an interview, Terri says that a family member said that when her grandmother was singing "This White Circle on My Finger," which was one of the top ten hits that the artist, "Wells" sung after Terri's favorite song "Honky Tonk Angels" was released and that opened the doors wide open for women who wanted to sing country music so bad. The recordings that began were the recordings of "Classic." Then, Paul Franklin, a pedal-steel player joined with Terri to play for her version of "Honky Tonk Angels" in her own country-style way. She said that she tried hard to pick music from the '50s to the '80s to sort of make her own tune. She says that her sound begins with the "hardcore of the honky-tonk of Merle Haggard" and the California country-rock of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. Terri also says that "Classic" has many influential people such as Tanya Tucker and Reba McEntire, who each worked with Terri to create versions of their hits in duets. Her friends Jann Arden, Dierks Bentley and Dean Brody also sing with her and that all her friends singing with her are great inspirations to her. Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn are friends on "Classic" with her and also inspire her very much.
"Terri became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, she was the first and only female to date. " She says that, that live radio show was very important for her album. Terri says that Opry is very important to the album "Classic." Two of Terri's partners who sing a duet with her are also Opry stars. Dierks Bentley works with her to remake "George Jones" and Tammy Wynette to perform "Golden Ring." Reba McEntire sings with her on "How Blue," which was a hit release from Reba McEntire's album from 1984 called "My Kind of Country." Terri's exact words of her inspiration are, “The guests on the album are people who have influenced me or people I’m a fan of, as artists.” Terri says that she has always been a fan of Reba McEntire and is part of her fan club with her fan card and a t-shirt of the fan club, that her mom gave her one Christmas.
However, Tanya Tucker was the first member of "Classic" because of her hit in 1972 called "Delta Dawn." Terri is such a fan, she says that, that was the second song she learned on the guitar. The first song was "The Long Black Veil," a hit by Lefty Frizzell. During the making of her album, "Classic" Terri used great help from Nashville's top session Musicians. Many of them recorded with her during her career. They worked on Terri's hits and playing pieces such as “Better Things to Do,” “I Wanna Do It All" and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me.” Terri's exact words off of http://www.terriclark.com/about-terri/biography/ are “They had fun,” she says. “And they played with reckless abandon – it’s not all polished and perfect. It sounds like they had a great time. That’s what always spoke the loudest about the records I’ve loved: It’s not about perfection, it’s about feeling an energy.”
Terri won the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Award four times for that album. Reba McEntire, Jaan Arden, Dierks Bentley, Tanya Tucker and Dean Brody worked with her on "Classic." Two influential people to her are Merle Haggard and Patsy Cline. Her family and these friends have showed her that country music is what she is and to continue adding that spirit and joy to people's lives by singing and playing her guitar and that comes through in her music.
However, Tanya Tucker was the first member of "Classic" because of her hit in 1972 called "Delta Dawn." Terri is such a fan, she says that, that was the second song she learned on the guitar. The first song was "The Long Black Veil," a hit by Lefty Frizzell. During the making of her album, "Classic" Terri used great help from Nashville's top session Musicians. Many of them recorded with her during her career. They worked on Terri's hits and playing pieces such as “Better Things to Do,” “I Wanna Do It All" and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me.” Terri's exact words off of http://www.terriclark.com/about-terri/biography/ are “They had fun,” she says. “And they played with reckless abandon – it’s not all polished and perfect. It sounds like they had a great time. That’s what always spoke the loudest about the records I’ve loved: It’s not about perfection, it’s about feeling an energy.”
Terri won the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Award four times for that album. Reba McEntire, Jaan Arden, Dierks Bentley, Tanya Tucker and Dean Brody worked with her on "Classic." Two influential people to her are Merle Haggard and Patsy Cline. Her family and these friends have showed her that country music is what she is and to continue adding that spirit and joy to people's lives by singing and playing her guitar and that comes through in her music.