Here is an article about Terry, sent in by Alexandre Pouzeaud.
Why is it that, once in a great
while, you come upon a singer who has that something that sinks deep into you,
and renders you helplessly exploring parts of your own soul? Heavenly places in
you. Some of which you might never have known existed?
A couple of years ago, I had, in my hands, the hottest live
show ticket in the world. I went to see Céline Dion in concert. there was a
section of songs in her show that she called "her favorites" and in
that group was "Beauty and the Beast", the duet that she recorded with
Peabo Bryson. Peabo was not there to perform it live; one of her backup singers
sang in his place. And How. His voice, was warm and inviting. His stage presence
commanded my full attention. I was overcome with a flood of emotions. When he
sand, I could feel it vibrating in my chest. When I looked to the big screen to
see him close-up, the expressions on his face gave a deeper meaning to that
song. That singer was Terry Bradford.
Yes, Terry Bradford, who, rising
up from the movie soundtracks of The Lion King, Amistad, What's Love Got To Do
With It, Congo, Made In America, The Power of One, Hercules, Up Close &
Personal, 200 Cigarettes, and many others, and out of the background of such
notable superstars as Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Annie Lennox, Cher, Elton
John, Lionel Ritchie, Whitney Houston, Debbie Gibson, Amy Grant, Tyrese, David
Foster, Winton Marsalis, and Mark Mothersbaugh, is now taking center stage.
When you first meet Terry Bradford, or "Bradford"
as he likes to be called, you are welcomed into his presence by his broad,
enveloping smile. He is definitely an "ear to bend" and a
"shoulder to cry on". The qualities you find in a very good friend.
Although, if you plan to dine with him, and you are not a health enthusiast, you
might want to bring your own food, as Bradford is a vegan "raw food:
vegetarian. In the "off" time you will find Bradford in the studio, at
his home, in Quartz Hill, California. "This is my think tank. The place
where my debut CD was both conceived and developed." Bradford finds his
studio to be a place of solace. As for exercise, Bradford says, " I like
the stretching part of exercising. The type where you extend yourself to the
length and breadth of your abilities. The kind that yoga provides. Although, I
am only up to the beginner yoga stretches. Life hands out a lot of stressful
moments, and I find that these help to relieve the stress."
Stress? I don't think so. Well,
at least it doesn't show in any of his performances. Such as when he guest
starred at the Whole Life Expo in Los Angeles, California, he showed no signs of
stress. And when he headline Atlanta, Georgia's 4th of July Celebration in front
of 130,000 people, no stress. When he won $100,000.00 dollars and the title
"1990 Star Search Male Vocalist Champion", he hit those "Star
Search trademark" high notes with no stress. Even on his recordings, like
his aforementioned debut CD, titles "Bradford", and his featured song
"Today" on the Audio Book "Yesterday I Cried", by Iyania
Vanzant, and his song "As Long As I Know" from the "In The
Meantime" soundtrack, stress is not a factor.
Each one of Terry Bradford's performances whether it's live
or recorded is an "out of body experience". Bradford's singing, the
lyrics and melodies of his songs, take you away from wherever you are and
catapults you into a new world. But, not his world. It is a world of your own
making. A world inside you. Bradford's music leads you on a journey into
yourself. Into the most wonderful parts of you. The parts of you where you draw
the strength to be who you are, and the power to be all that you want to be.
How does he do it? What is this force that Terry Bradford
possesses that causes me to cry, or to laugh that uncontrollably joyful laugh,
or to rock from side to side with my eyes closed unaware of my surroundings, or
to jump to my feet, slapping my hands together and screaming for more? I
sometimes jokingly say, if I took a few voice lessons, I'd be a force to be
reckoned with. Maybe that's part of it. Bradford had some wonderful voice
coaches: Evelyn Ochs (the mother superior of the catholic church in Italy); Dr.
Rozozza (known for training Metropolitan Opera singers); and Seth Riggs (who
trains Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand, and many other stars).
But voice lessons, though extremely important and very helpful, is not in the
force. Because when Bradford chooses not to use the seemingly infinite range of
that beautiful voice, the force is still there. When I cannot see those heart
wrenching facial expressions, the force is still there. When he does only "oohs
& aahs", the force is still there. I have heard a lot of singers. I
have been to a lot of concerts. Because I love good music. Music is what tends
to relieve my stress. At the top of this paragraph I asked the questions,
"How does he do it?" ; "What is this force?". Questions for
which I have no answers. Of Terry Bradford, I can only say this: once in a great
while you come upon a singer who has that something that sinks into you, and
renders you helplessly exploring parts of your own soul. Heavenly places in you.
Some of which you might never have known existed.
...that singer is Terry Bradford.