Terry Black (February 3, 1949 – June 28, 2009) was a Canadian pop singer and teen idol, born in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Terry Black
Born(1949-02-03)February 3, 1949
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
DiedJune 28, 2009(2009-06-28) (aged 60)
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, radio DJ
Years active1964–1982

Career

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Black's debut U.S. single, "Unless You Care", was released in 1964, when Black was 15.[1] The song was written and produced by P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri and featured backing from Glen Campbell and Leon Russell, who were at that time studio musicians.[2] The song was a major hit in Canada and also cracked the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and Black was awarded the "Male Vocalist of the Year" award at the Maple Music Awards in 1965.[2]

Black had several further singles through 1966, such as the Sloan-Barri tunes "Kisses for My Baby" and "Say It Again", Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen", and "Baby's Gone" (written by Graham Bonney and Barry Mason), all of which were produced by Sloan and Barri.[3] He released a Sloan-Barri produced album, Only 16 in 1965, on the Canadian ARC Records label.[3] Black then moved to the U.S., and his remaining unreleased tracks (plus some alternate versions of released songs) were assembled into another Sloan-Barri produced album, The Black Plague, in 1966.[3]

Under the name "Terence" he released the album An Eye for An Ear by Decca Records in the U.S. and Canada in 1969. The album was also released with a different cover by MCA Records in Germany. A hoped-for film career failed to materialize, and Black returned to Canada.[4]

Black also joined the cast for the Toronto production of Hair in 1969. He married a member of the cast, Laurel Ward, in 1970, and from 1972 to 1982 the pair released several singles together as Black and Ward, such as the minor hit "Goin' Down (On the Road to L.A.)", peaking at No. 57, 2/12/72.[3][4][5] He also performed, alongside Ward, with Dr. Music, including the 1972 Canadian hit "Sun Goes By".[4] In 1979, Black performed the song "Moondust" on the soundtrack for the movie Meatballs. Black and Ward divorced in 1993.

In the 2000s, Black hosted an oldies radio show in British Columbia.[4] He had multiple sclerosis late in life and died as a result of the condition on June 28, 2009, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.[2]

Discography[4]

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Albums

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Solo

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Year Album Record Label
1965 Only 16 Arc Records
(Canada)
1966 The Black Plague
1969 An Eye for An Ear (as "Terence") Decca Records DL75137
1979 Meatballs soundtrack (2 songs)

with Laurel Ward

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Year Album
1982 All Night Long

with Dr. Music

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Year Album Canada Record Label
1972 Dr. Music 35 GRT Records
1973 Dr. Music II 78
1974 Bedtime Story
1984 Circa '84 Canadian Talent Library

Singles

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Solo

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Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side Album
CAN US
1964 "Dry Bones" Arc Records
(Canada)
"Sinner Man"
"Unless You Care" 2 99 "Can't We Go Somewhere" Only 16
1965 "Say It Again" 24 "Everyone Can Tell"
"Little Liar" 10 "Ordinary Girl"
"Only Sixteen" 14 "How Many Guys"
"Poor Little Fool" 6 "Kisses for My Baby"
1966 "Rainbow" 17 "There's Something About You"
"I (Who Have Nothing)" "Baby's Gone"
"Baby's Gone" "Ordinary Girl"
1967 "Wishing Star" "Kick Me Charlie"
1972 "Ridin' a Daydream" GRT Records "Boutique"

with Laurel Ward

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Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side
CAN US
1972 "Goin' Down (On the Road to L.A.)" 99 57 Kama Sutra Records "Oh Babe"
"Warm Days, Warm Nights" "Love Is Gone"
1973 "Love is the Feeling" 87 Yorkville Records "Now's the Time"
1975 "It's Your Love" RCA Records "Delight"
"Back Up (Against Your Persuasion)" 35 "This Is My Confusion"
1976 "Long Time" "Restless"
1982 "Waves of Emotion" Duke Street Records "Wild Out"

with Dr. Music

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Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side Album
CAN US
1971 "Try a Little Harder" 78 GRT Records "The Land" Dr. Music
"One More Mountain to Climb" 14 "I Can Hear Her Calling Him"
"Sun Goes By" 23 "Gospel Rock"
1972 "Long Time Comin' Home" 28 "Say Real" Dr. Music II
1973 "Tryin' Times" "In My Life"

References

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  1. ^ "Vancouver rock idol Terry Black dies at 60". Vancouver Sun. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  2. ^ a b c Terry Black, Canada's Teen Sensation in '60s Archived 2009-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. Kamloops, June 29, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d Terry Black at Allmusic
  4. ^ a b c d e John Rowlands and Jeff Gibbons (2004-11-27). "Canadian Pop Encyclopedia: Terry Black entry". canoe.ca. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2011-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Billboard Hot 100, Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles 1955–1993 ISBN 0-89820-105-5