Terri Walker facts for kids

Terri Walker (born Chanelle Gstettenbauer on April 14, 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is known for her R&B and soul music. Terri Walker has released several albums in the United Kingdom. These include Untitled, L.O.V.E, I Am, and Entitled. She also sang many songs on the first album by Shanks & Bigfoot, called Swings and Roundabouts.

About Terri Walker

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Terri Walker was born in Wimbledon, London, England. Her parents are from Jamaica. When she was four years old, her family moved to Regensburg, Germany. Terri speaks German very well. She has said that Germany helped shape who she is today.

Later, Terri moved back to the UK. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. This is a famous school for performing arts. There, she started to study and sing opera music. She began studying opera at age 15 and sang it professionally from age 18. She believes classical training is the best kind of training for a singer.

Terri started her music career by singing for garage artists. She worked with groups like 187 Lockdown and TNT. She also sang on the Shanks & Bigfoot album Swings and Roundabouts. One of her most famous songs from this time was "Sing-A-Long", which became a top 20 hit in the UK.

First Album: Untitled (2003-2004)

Terri Walker released her first album, Untitled, in 2003. Critics really liked the album. The BBC said that Terri was an artist who could compete with big American singers. They also said her music was not just R&B, but "music for the soul."

The album was nominated for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize. Terri also received nominations at the 2003 MOBO Awards. She was nominated for Best R&B Act, UK Act of the Year, Best Album, and Best Newcomer.

The first song from Untitled was "Guess You Didn't Love Me." This song featured the artist Mos Def. It was released in February 2003 and reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. This is still one of her biggest hits. The second song, "Ching Ching (Lovin' You Still)," became her highest-charting single. It reached the top 40 in the UK. Terri performed these songs on TV shows like Jools Holland.

Terri named her album Untitled because she wanted people to decide what the music meant to them. She compared it to seeing an "Untitled" painting in an art gallery. Even though critics loved the album, it did not sell many copies. It reached number 118 on the UK Albums Chart. Because of this, her record label wanted her to make more popular music for her next album.

Terri also sang on other artists' songs during this time. She was featured on Jaimeson's song "Common Ground" in 2004. She also sang on Lemon Jelly's song "Make Things Right," which reached number 33 in the UK.

Second Album: L.O.V.E (2005)

Terri Walker released her second album, L.O.V.E, in March 2005. The title stands for "Love Overcomes Virtually Everything." Terri said she wanted this album to be more serious. She had grown up and seen many things she wanted to sing about. She also explained that the album was made to be more mainstream. This was because her label thought her first album was not popular enough.

Reviews for L.O.V.E were also good. The Daily Mirror praised her voice and said she was improving. Contactmusic.com gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. They said the songs, production, and singing were amazing.

The first song from the album was "Whoopsie Daisy." It just missed the UK Top 40, reaching number 41. The second song, "This Is My Time," was not officially released for sale. Even so, a music video was made for it. Despite trying a more popular style, L.O.V.E did not sell well. It reached number 142 on the UK Albums Chart. After this, Terri left Mercury Records and decided to make her next album on her own. She later said that making the second album felt like a compromise.

Third Album: I Am and a Break from Music (2006)

Terri Walker released her third album, I Am, in 2006. She released it through an independent label called Dekkor Records. Terri said that working with an independent label gave her more creative freedom. She felt it was better than being with a major label. She described the album as a step forward from her first two albums. It featured live instruments and songs about life, love, and friendships. It kept her neo-soul style. Terri helped write eight of the ten songs on the album. She also helped produce one song called "I Don't Care."

Critics liked I Am because it brought Terri back to her neo-soul roots. The BBC said that Terri was "firmly back in the premier league of UK singers." The Guardian gave the album three stars. They noted that Terri sang beautifully throughout the album.

Two songs were released from I Am, but neither had a music video. The first song, "Alright with Me," was released in April 2006. The second song, "I Am," was for promotion only. Neither song appeared on the UK charts. After this, Terri stopped working with Dekkor Records.

Terri toured the UK in September and October 2006 to support the album. She performed in cities like Bristol, London, and Manchester. After the tour, Terri took a break from the music business.

Returning to Music: Walk with Me (2008)

During her break, Terri Walker worked on a project called Champagne Flutes with producer Salaam Remi. In 2008, their song "Hey Baby" was on the Sex and the City, Vol. 2: More Music soundtrack. Terri also sang backup for famous singers like Jennifer Hudson and Fergie.

Terri explained that she wasn't planning to release another album. She loved to sing, but thought she would just work with other artists. She felt that the music market was full of artists doing similar things. But then she realized there was a need for the kind of music she made, like what Jill Scott and Erykah Badu create. She felt someone needed to bring that style back.

In May 2010, Terri announced she was working on her fourth album. She confirmed she was working with producer Ski Beatz. The album was planned to be released on Damon Dash's BluRoc label. Terri said the album would have a hip hop theme. She wanted to feature many new artists from the US and UK.

In January 2011, Terri posted a video online. She talked about the album and shared short clips of songs. It was announced that the album would be called Mz Walker. The first song, "So Hard," was played on Ronnie Herel's BBC 1Xtra show. "So Hard" was released in April 2011. Terri then announced that the album name had changed to Walk with Me. However, Terri later left BluRoc. The release of the second single, "One Day Longer," and the album Walk with Me were canceled.

Forming Lady and Debut Album (2012-2013)

In 2012, Terri Walker joined with another soul singer, Nicole Wray. They formed a retro-soul duo called Lady. They signed with Truth and Soul Records. Their first album, also called Lady, was released in March 2013. The album had two singles: "Money" and "Get Ready."

A few months after the album came out, Terri left the duo. She wanted to go back to her solo career. Nicole Wray continued to perform as Lady. A third single, "Good Lovin'," was released from the album after Terri had left the group.

Untitled to Entitled (2014-2015)

In 2014, Terri Walker released a short album (EP) with Joe Buhdha. It was called Untitled to Entitled. This name was a nod to her first album and her upcoming fourth album. One song, "Feel Right," was released to promote the EP.

On December 1, 2014, it was announced that Terri's fourth solo album would be released. It was her first solo album in nine years. The album was called Entitled and came out on March 9, 2015. The first song from the album was "Bad Boy," featuring the rapper Frisco.

Terri Walker's Music

Studio Albums

Unreleased Albums

EPs (Extended Plays)

Mixtapes

• 2011: Terri in Wonderland (released on June 10, 2011)

Singles

Songs Featuring Terri Walker