Terry Ellis
Encyclopedia
Terry Lynn Ellis is an African-American R&B singer best known for her work with the quartet En Vogue
.
, she joined En Vogue
. En Vogue
was planned to be a trio
(a 1990s version of The Emotions
), but the producers were so impressed by her voice, they made the group a quartet
. In 1995 Ellis took time during the group's hiatus to release her solo
CD, Southern Gal
. The CD included the moderate hits "Where Ever You Are" and "What Did I Do To You?". She also contributed a track called "Call on me" for the Soundtrack for the HBO Film "Disappearing Acts" with Wesley Snipes
.
She also released her own fragrance titled "Southern Exposure".
En Vogue lost original members Dawn Robinson
in 1997 and again in 2005, and Maxine Jones
in 2001 (they latter replaced by Amanda Cole and then Rhona Bennett
.) Maxine Jones
and Dawn Robinson
have since returned to the group. In 2005, Ellis was featured in the Stevie Wonder
music video
"So What The Fuss" with her original En Vogue group members Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron. She also played one of Chanté Moore's friends in the Music video "Chanté's Got a Man" in 1999.
With fellow group member Cindy Herron
having taken a leave from the group around 2004-2005, Terry Ellis is the only original member of En Vogue to have never left the group during any point in time.
vocal range
which was displayed in the En Vogue
song, "Don't Go". By her groupmates, Terry was credited as the member with the "Ballad
" type of voice. With En Vogue, she often shared leads, or lead the group songs that were funky, and soulful. In group harmonies, Terry usually sings the Alto
arrangement, which is above Maxine Jones
, but under Dawn Robinson
, or Cindy Herron
.
for the Cincinnati Bengals
in the NFL. She is close friends with actress Holly Robinson Peete, whom she met on the set of the sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
while recording the show's theme song.
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
.
Biography
Terry Lynn Ellis was born on September 5, 1963. She is the daughter of Lennie James Ellis and the former Evelyn Marie Patton. Ellis graduated from Worthing High School in 1981. After receiving a degree in Marketing from Prairie View A&M UniversityPrairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
, she joined En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
. En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
was planned to be a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
(a 1990s version of The Emotions
The Emotions
The Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson....
), but the producers were so impressed by her voice, they made the group a quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
. In 1995 Ellis took time during the group's hiatus to release her solo
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
CD, Southern Gal
Southern Gal
Southern Gal is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Terry Ellis, it was released on November 14th, 1995 by EastWest Records. The album was released during the time En Vogue were on a hiatus. The album includes the R&B Top 40 hit singles, "Where Ever You Are" and "What Did I Do To...
. The CD included the moderate hits "Where Ever You Are" and "What Did I Do To You?". She also contributed a track called "Call on me" for the Soundtrack for the HBO Film "Disappearing Acts" with Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
.
She also released her own fragrance titled "Southern Exposure".
En Vogue lost original members Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson is an American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group, En Vogue....
in 1997 and again in 2005, and Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones is one of the original members of the R&B singing group En Vogue. She originally left the group in 2001 to spend time with her daughter. Jones rejoined En Vogue on a permanent basis in the third quarter of 2004...
in 2001 (they latter replaced by Amanda Cole and then Rhona Bennett
Rhona Bennett
Rhona Bennett is an American singer, actress and model, best known for her recurring role as Nicole on The Jamie Foxx Show. She joined American R&B super-group En Vogue in 2003 until August 2008, after which she embarked on solo singing career...
.) Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones is one of the original members of the R&B singing group En Vogue. She originally left the group in 2001 to spend time with her daughter. Jones rejoined En Vogue on a permanent basis in the third quarter of 2004...
and Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson is an American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group, En Vogue....
have since returned to the group. In 2005, Ellis was featured in the Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
"So What The Fuss" with her original En Vogue group members Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron. She also played one of Chanté Moore's friends in the Music video "Chanté's Got a Man" in 1999.
With fellow group member Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron-Braggs , is an American singer and actress, who is best known as a founding member of the R&B/Pop quartet En Vogue.-Early life:...
having taken a leave from the group around 2004-2005, Terry Ellis is the only original member of En Vogue to have never left the group during any point in time.
Voice/Range
Terry Ellis has a 5 octaveOctave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
which was displayed in the En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
song, "Don't Go". By her groupmates, Terry was credited as the member with the "Ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
" type of voice. With En Vogue, she often shared leads, or lead the group songs that were funky, and soulful. In group harmonies, Terry usually sings the Alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
arrangement, which is above Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones
Maxine Jones is one of the original members of the R&B singing group En Vogue. She originally left the group in 2001 to spend time with her daughter. Jones rejoined En Vogue on a permanent basis in the third quarter of 2004...
, but under Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson
Dawn Robinson is an American R&B/soul/Dance-pop singer best known for her work as a member of hit Urban/Dance-pop group, En Vogue....
, or Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron-Braggs , is an American singer and actress, who is best known as a founding member of the R&B/Pop quartet En Vogue.-Early life:...
.
Leads/Shared Leads
- 1990 - "Hold OnHold On (En Vogue song)"Hold On" was the debut single from En Vogue's debut album, Born to Sing. It reached number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single became one of 1990s' biggest hits in the US and also a major hit in the UK . It also reached #1 on the U.S. Dance chart...
" - 1990 - "LiesLies (En Vogue song)"Lies" is the second single from Born to Sing, the debut album from R&B/pop quartet En Vogue. Written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, it became the group's second single to top the Billboard R&B singles chart...
" - 1991 - "Don't Go"
- 1992 - "Free Your MindFree Your Mind"Free Your Mind" is the name of a Grammy Award-nominated hit single released by the American all-female R&B group En Vogue. Released on September 24, 1992 "Free Your Mind" is the third single released from En Vogue's critically acclaimed album Funky Divas...
" - 1993 - "Love Don't Love YouLove Don't Love You"Love Don't Love You" was the final single from En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas. It was the bands 5th consecutive top 40 single in the US from that album. This song is led by Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron.-Charts:...
" - 1993 - "Runaway LoveRunaway Love (En Vogue song)"Runaway Love" was the first single from En Vogue's EP, Runaway Love. After the huge success of Funky Divas, the single was released. The single was released to radio in late August 1993 and was immediately added to airplay rotation, debuting on the airplay chart at #31 the week of September 4, 1993...
" - 1994 - "Whatta ManWhatta Man"Whatta Man" is a 1994 single by Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue from Salt-N-Pepa's 1993 album Very Necessary. It was issued by Next Plateau/London Records and produced by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor. It also appears on En Vogue's Runaway Love EP...
" - 1996 - "Don't Let Go (Love)Don't Let Go (Love)"Don't Let Go " is a 1996 Grammy-nominated single by En Vogue from the Set It Off soundtrack, also appearing on the group's third album, EV3. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over 1,000,000 units. The song was the last single by En Vogue to feature former band member Dawn...
" - 1997 - "WhateverWhatever (En Vogue song)"Whatever" is the second single from musical group En Vogue's third studio album, EV3. It has been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of over 500,000 units. It reached #16 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart....
" - 1997 - "Too Gone, Too Long"
- 2000 - "RiddleRiddle (En Vogue song)"Riddle" is a song by En Vogue. It was released as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album Masterpiece Theater. "Riddle" was the first and last single from the album. The song became a Top 40 hit in a few countries, it gained more success in Belgium where it became a Top 20 hit...
" - 2011 - "I'll Cry Later"
Personal
Her cousin is Thomas Howard who plays linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the NFL. She is close friends with actress Holly Robinson Peete, whom she met on the set of the sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
while recording the show's theme song.