Terry Stafford
| Terry Stafford | |
|---|---|
Stafford early in his singing career
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Terry LaVerne Stafford |
| Born |
November 22, 1941 Hollis, Oklahoma |
| Died | March 17, 1996 (aged 54) Amarillo, Texas |
| Genres | Rock, R&B, country pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1964–1996 |
| Labels | Crusader, Atlantic |
Terry LaVerne Stafford (November 22, 1941 – March 17, 1996) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 U.S. Top 10 hit, "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit, "Amarillo by Morning". Stafford is also known for his Elvis Presley sound-alike voice.
Stafford was the only son of William Nathan "Bill" Stafford (1921–2011), a United States Navy veteran of World War II and a construction worker, and the former Juanita J. Roach (1919–2001). He had two sisters, Linda Williams of Amarillo and Judy Snead of Hendersonville, Tennessee. He, like his mother, was born in rural Hollis in Harmon County in the southwestern corner of Oklahoma. Mrs. Stafford was a lens grinder for an optical company and worked in a laundry. Stafford was reared in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated there in 1960 from Palo Duro High School. He then moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a musical career.
The song "Suspicion", which was released on the Crusader record label and had previously been recorded by Elvis Presley, made it to no. 3 in the U.S. and no. 31 in the UK Singles Chart. "Suspicion" had the distinction of being sixth on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 4, 1964, when the Beatles held down the top five spots. The following week, "Suspicion" peaked at no. 3, with the Beatles holding three of the top five spots. Stafford's recording sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The song was one of the first to have a synthesiser backing. His follow-up, "I’ll Touch a Star", rose to number 25 in America. Both recordings were produced by Bob Summers (brother-in-law of Les Paul), who played all the instruments on the tracks as well as engineering and recording them, except for bass which was played by Ron Griffith. Summers released his own version in the 1970s, as well as a remake with Ed Greenwald on vocals in 2008.
...
Wikipedia