Terri Gibbs
| Terri Gibbs | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Teresa Fay Gibbs |
| Born | June 15, 1954 |
| Origin | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, Christian |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | MCA, Warner Bros., Canaan, Morning Gate |
| Associated acts | Ed Penney, George Jones |
Teresa Fay "Terri" Gibbs (born June 15, 1954) is an American country music artist who is blind. Between 1980 and 1990, she recorded seven studio albums, including four for MCA Records and one for Warner Bros. Records. She also charted 13 singles on the Billboard country singles charts in that timespan, including her debut single "Somebody's Knockin'", which reached No. 8 on the country charts, No. 13 on the pop charts and No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary charts. She also entered the country top 20 with "Rich Man", "Mis'ry River", "Ashes to Ashes" and "Anybody Else's Heart but Mine."
Gibbs was born in Miami, Florida, but raised in the Augusta, Georgia, suburb of Grovetown. Although born with eyesight, she lost it as a newborn due to an incubator accident. Despite her blindness, she learned to play piano at age three. As a child, she sang in the church choir and at talent contests, and at age seventeen, she opened for Bill Anderson. Her parents wanted her to be treated no differently from sighted people and she was sent to public school, graduating from Butler High School in Augusta in 1972. She performed in and around the Augusta area and eventually, she met Chet Atkins, who advised her to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a country music career, which she did at age eighteen. After failing to find a record deal, she returned to Miami and joined a band called Sound Dimension. She continued to perform locally, later forming a band called the Terri Gibbs Trio, which performed at a Steak and Ale in Augusta, Georgia. Gibbs then sent a demo tape to record producer Ed Penney of MCA Records, signing to the label in 1980. Penney was a former Boston disc jockey and a long-time songwriter. He liked her voice on her demo, but felt she needed stronger material. He co-wrote "Somebody's Knockin'" for her and also produced the song.
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