Terry Burrus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Burrus
Terry Burrus
Background information
Birth name	Terrance Corley Burrus
Born	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres	Pop, rock, R&B, electro, house, soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer, composer, conductor, dj, bandleader
Instruments	Keyboards
Labels	Ichiban, Ichiban-EMI, Arista, Bee Pee, Easystreet, Blue Corner, Lovelight

Terrance Corley Burrus is an American musician who plays keyboards. He is also a composer, DJ, and record producer. He has even worked as a conductor and in business.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Terry started touring and playing music when he was still a teenager. He performed with jazz violinist Michał Urbaniak and singer Jean Carne while he was still in high school. He took over from Urbaniak's previous keyboard player. Terry was introduced to Jean Carne by Norman Hedman, a percussionist and producer who was one of Terry's early music mentors.

Through these connections, Terry went on to play with famous musicians like trumpeter Tom Browne, drummer Lenny White, and singer Melba Moore. His friend, pianist Kenny Kirkland, who played for Sting, suggested Terry for a special show. In 1984, Terry joined the legendary Lena Horne for her award-winning show Lady and Her Music. The band included Terry on piano and keyboards, along with other talented musicians and even some from the London Symphony Orchestra. While still playing for other artists, Terry also releases his own music and performs solo concerts.

In 1983, Terry released his first solo song, "Love Rocking," with Arista Records. This song was a mix of funk, electro, and soul music. Terry wrote the song, sang all the vocals, and played all the instruments, with his high school friend Omar Hakim on drums. This project was known as Terry Burrus and Transe. It was produced by Terry and Marcus Miller, another friend from high school.

Terry, Marcus Miller, and other high school friends like Poogie Bell, Bobby Broom, and Bernard Wright played for an off-Broadway show in 1977. The show was called Young Gifted And Broke and was written by Weldon Irvine. Irvine had also co-written the famous song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" with Nina Simone. Sometimes, Return To Forever's drummer Lenny White would join the "Young Gifted And Broke" musicians. Terry was very excited to play with Lenny White, especially after White's time with Chick Corea's band.

As time went on, Terry became a highly respected session artist. This means he played keyboards on recordings for many famous musicians. Some of the artists he worked with include Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Miles Davis, Madonna, and Aretha Franklin.

Terry has always loved classical music. He studied the works of composers like Mozart and Beethoven when he was in school. You can hear classical influences in his modern piano compositions and playing. He performs classical piano concerts around the world, in addition to playing jazz and pop music.

Terry has also been a sideman and music director for many tours, especially for "Jazz Explosion" in the 1980s and 1990s. He has also performed in soul, dance, and gospel concerts with groups like the Harlem Gospel Singers. He has played with artists such as George Benson, Angela Bofill, Bill Withers, Ramsey Lewis, and Chaka Khan.

Terry has also written and produced music for other artists. He worked with Kenny Gamble, the president of Philadelphia International Records, on songs like "Living In Confusion" for Phyllis Hyman. Terry wrote "I Just Love You So Much" for Billy Paul and wrote and produced "Love Goddess" for Lonnie Liston Smith. He also wrote and produced songs for the group Burrell.

From the late 1970s until today, Terry has helped shape the sound of house music and electronic music. He worked with many international and American DJ producers like Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, and Todd Terry. These experiences helped him become well-known in the dance music and remix world. Terry has created electronic sounds that he has used in Techno, Trance, Ambient, and World Music. His piano style was especially popular and important in the 1990s on many recordings by famous and new artists worldwide.

Early Life and Music Education

Terry Burrus became interested in the organ and piano at age five. This happened at the Washington Temple Church of God In Christ in Brooklyn, a church where his parents sang in the choir. When Terry was five, his parents enrolled him in the Alfred Miller Music School. A year later, he started playing gospel hymns there.

He continued his music studies in New York City at the La Guardia School of Music and Art. Later, he attended Long Island University in New York. During this time, he developed a deeper love for jazz, improvisation, classical music, and composing. While still in school, he recorded music in his home studio and public studios. He also played concerts around the world with artists like Jean Carne, Michael Urbaniak, and Lena Horne.

Terry always gives credit to Sticks Evans, his junior high school music teacher at John Coleman I.S. 271 in Brooklyn. Sticks Evans played drums for famous artists like Aretha Franklin and Sammy Davis Jr.. He encouraged and inspired Terry when he was young. Sticks Evans treated Terry like a younger brother or even a son. This relationship gave Terry the strength to continue in the music world. In the late 1980s, Terry moved into an apartment in Manhattan, close to where Evans lived until his passing in 1994.

Terry Burrus's Music: Discography

Terry Burrus has released many albums and singles as a leader. He has also played on recordings for other artists as a sideman.

Music as a Leader

• Bust It Out (1989; Easystreet)
• Dance to the Mix (EP) (1990; Easystreet)
• Urban Smooth Jazz (2006; Ichiban)
• Mighty Mouth Vavoom (1985; Zakia/Bee Pee)
• Invisible Weapon (1994; Startrak)
• Love Rocking (1983; Arista)
• Nation 2 Nation (1992; Ichiban)
• Free Spirit (1991; Ichiban-EMI)
• Soul of Jazz (1996; Ichiban)
• I Am for You (1996; Lovelight)
• Acid Jazz Hipabop Project (1994; Lovelight)
• At the Konzerthaus in Dortmund (2007; Blue Corner)
• Global Dancefloor Booked (2008; Lovelight)

Music as a Sideman

• George Benson - Big Boss Band with the Count Basie Orchestra (1990; Warner Bros.)
• Lonnie Liston Smith - Love Goddess (1990; Startrak/Ichiban)
• Tom Browne - Yours Truly (1981; GRP/Arista)
• Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone (1995; Epic)
• Toni Braxton – "Un-Break My Heart" (1996; LaFace)
• Cardigans – Love Fool (1997; Motor/Mercury)
• Mary J. Blige - Everything (1997; MCA/Universal)
• Phyllis Hyman - Prime of My Life (1992; Zoo Entertainment)
• Phyllis Hyman - Living All Alone (1986; Philadelphia International)
• Lisa Stansfield - Change [Ultimate Club Mix] (Remixed by Frankie Knuckles) (1991, Arista)