Terry Gross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terry Gross
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Gross in 2016
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| Born | February 14, 1951 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University at Buffalo (BA, M.Ed) |
| Occupation | Journalist, author |
| Spouse(s) |
High school friend
(m. 1970, divorced)Francis Davis
(m. 1994) |
| Career | |
| Show | Fresh Air |
| Station(s) | WHYY-FM, NPR |
| Country | United States |
Terry Gross (born February 14, 1951) is an American journalist. She is famous for hosting and co-producing Fresh Air. This is a popular interview radio show. It is made by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and shared across the country by NPR. Terry Gross has interviewed thousands of people since she joined NPR in 1975.
People often praise Terry Gross for her calm and friendly interview style. She is also known for asking thoughtful questions. She always does a lot of research before talking to her guests. She often surprises them with questions about their early careers.
Contents
Terry Gross: Early Life
Terry Gross was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951. She grew up in the Sheepshead Bay area. Her mother, Anne, worked as a stenographer. Her father, Irving, worked in a family hat business.
Terry grew up in a Jewish family. All of her grandparents were immigrants. Her father's parents came from Poland. Her mother's parents came from the Russian Empire.
She graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School in 1968. She then went to the University at Buffalo. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She also got a master's degree in communications.
In 1972, Terry Gross taught 8th grade in Buffalo. She said she was not ready for the job. She was fired after only six weeks.
Terry Gross: Radio Career
Terry Gross started her radio career in 1973. She volunteered at WBFO, a college radio station in Buffalo. She worked on a show called Woman Power. Later, she co-hosted This is Radio. These shows talked about women's rights and public topics.
In 1975, she moved to WHYY-FM in Philadelphia. There, she began hosting and producing Fresh Air. At first, it was a local interview show. In 1985, Fresh Air with Terry Gross became a national show. NPR started sharing it every week.
Two years later, it became a daily program. Terry Gross usually does interviews from the WHYY-FM studios. Her guests are often in other studios. They connect by phone or satellite. Most of the time, she does not meet her guests face-to-face.
The show is one hour long and usually has two interviews. It is sent to over 190 NPR stations. Millions of people listen to it every day. Many of her show's staff have worked with her since the 1970s and 1980s.
Terry Gross: Interview Style
The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper praised Gross's interviews. They called them "a remarkable blend of empathy, warmth, genuine curiosity, and sharp intelligence." Terry Gross is proud of how much she prepares. Before an interview, she reads books, watches movies, or listens to music by her guests.
The Boston Phoenix newspaper said she is "almost certainly the best cultural interviewer in America." They added that her questions are smart and thoughtful. They push her guests to talk about new things.
Terry Gross said her voice used to be higher when she was nervous. She took singing lessons for years. This helped her relax her voice. She now has a more natural, deeper tone. Many people have written about her voice. They also study how precisely she uses words.
Terry Gross: Challenging Interviews
Sometimes, interviews do not go as planned. Terry Gross has had some challenging talks with guests. For example, she asked Nancy Reagan about how her husband's government handled HIV/AIDS. This question was not well received.
Some guests have ended their interviews early. These include Lou Reed, Faye Dunaway, and Adam Driver.
- Gene Simmons (2002): Terry Gross interviewed Kiss singer Gene Simmons. The interview started with a disagreement about how she said his name. Later, Gross asked him about his stage costume. Simmons made a comment that Gross found offensive. Unlike most guests, Simmons did not want this interview shared online by NPR.
- Bill O'Reilly (2003): Fox News host Bill O'Reilly walked out of his interview. He felt her questions were unfair. This caused a big discussion in the media. Later, Gross and O'Reilly met again on his TV show. Gross promised him she would stay for the whole interview this time.
- Lynne Cheney (2005): Terry Gross interviewed Lynne Cheney, who was the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney. The interview was supposed to be about Cheney's history book. But Gross asked about Cheney's daughter and her views on same-sex marriage. Cheney did not want to talk about these topics.
Terry Gross: Other Appearances
Terry Gross has appeared in other projects. In 1988, she played a radio host in a remake of The War of the Worlds. This was a famous radio broadcast from 50 years before.
She also voiced herself on The Simpsons in two episodes. In 2015, she was a guest on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. She played a game called "Not My Job." She answered questions about Hulk Hogan.
In 2017, she was a guest voice on the TV show Clarence. She played a radio host named Debra Copper. In 2020, she appeared on the PBS show Finding Your Roots. On this show, she learned about her Jewish family history.
She also voiced a character named Pam in the HBO Max cartoon The Fungies!.
Terry Gross: Personal Life
Terry Gross was married for about a year in college. She divorced before starting her radio career in 1973.
Since 1994, Terry Gross has been married to Francis Davis. He is a former jazz critic. They have been together since 1978. They live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They both love music. They do not have children, which was a choice they made together.
Terry Gross: Awards
Terry Gross has won many awards for her work:
- 1981: Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for Best Live Radio Program
- 1987: Ohio State Award
- 1989: Drexel University, Honorary Doctor of Letters
- 1993: SUNY–Buffalo, Distinguished Alumni Award
- 1994: Peabody Award
- 1998: Haverford College, Doctor of Letters
- 1999: The Foundation of American Women In Radio and Television's Gracie Allen Award
- 2002: Princeton University, Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree
- 2003: Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Edward R. Murrow Award
- 2007: Literarian Award, a lifetime achievement award
- 2007: SUNY–Buffalo, Doctor of Humane Letters
- 2008: Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia Journalism Award
- 2011: Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community
- 2012: Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame
- 2015: National Humanities Medal
- 2022: Peabody Award
Terry Gross: Works and Publications
Terry Gross has also published books and audio recordings.
Books
- Gross, Terry. All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists. This book shares many of her famous interviews.
Audio
Terry Gross has released several audio collections of her interviews from Fresh Air:
- Fresh Air on Stage and Screen (1998, 2000): These tapes and CDs feature interviews with actors and directors like Mel Brooks, Nicolas Cage, Clint Eastwood, and Audrey Hepburn.
- Laughs: Fresh Air with Terry Gross (2003, 2004): This collection includes interviews with famous comedians such as Richard Pryor, Conan O'Brien, and Joan Rivers.
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Funny People: More Interviews with Stars of Comedy (2010): Another collection of interviews with comedians.
- Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Faith, Reason & Doubt (2008): This set includes interviews about religion and belief.
Video
- 2012: Birbiglia, Mike. Fresh Air 2: 2 Fresh 2 Furious (short film).
