Terry "Buzzy" Johnson
| Terry "Buzzy" Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Isaiah Johnson |
| Born |
November 12, 1938 Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter, Music producer |
| Associated acts | The Flamingos |
Terry "Buzzy" Johnson (born Isaiah Johnson in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on November 12, 1938), is an American popular music singer, songwriter and music producer.
Johnson grew up as a neighbor of The Orioles' Sonny Til and The Swallows' Earl Hurley. In 1954, Johnson formed The Whispers (no relation to the more famous Los Angeles-based group) with four high school friends, and recorded for Gotham Records (based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Terry wrote, arranged and sang lead on "Fool Heart" and "Are You Sorry?", both released in 1955.
In mid 1956, after the Whispers broke up, Terry saw The Flamingos (at the time, composed of Nate Nelson, Johnny Carter, Paul Wilson, and Jake Carey; - Zeke Carey was not with the group as he was in the service at the time) and renewed his rapport with the group, from the days when the Careys lived in Baltimore (they were now based in Chicago.)
On Christmas Eve of 1956, Johnson accepted an invitation to join the Flamingos, replacing the military-bound Johnny Carter. Terry's ethereal tenor was a perfect fit with the Flamingos' unique harmonies and his talent as a composer and producer also proved an asset to the group. Terry turned the group around, first on their Decca releases, most notably his arrangement of "Ladder of Love." Terry also went on to write "Lovers Never Say Goodbye", "Mio Amore", "At the Prom", "You, Me & The Sea" and "Heavenly Angel" for the Flamingos. As a matter of fact, Terry Johnson's taking Johnny Carter's place in the group would result in Carter ending up in The Dells, where he became a fixture until his death in 2009.
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