Terry was a graduate at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington. He landed backing vocalist jobs for the R&B/pop group, Sweet Sensation, and hip-hop group The Boogie Boys.[1] In 1987, he signed a recording contract with Epic/CBS Records. Terry’s first single, “She’s Fly”, was released the same year, and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.[2] Forever Yours, Terry’s debut album for Epic, was released in 1988, and reached the Top 40 of Billboard’s R&B albums chart.[3] The follow-up single, “Lovey Dovey”, reached number four on the R&B charts, and “Forever Yours” climbed into the R&B Top 20.[2]

Terry’s second album, a self-titled release, included the single “With You” (his biggest hit) which reached the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, as well as the Top 10 on the R&B chart.[2] “Everlasting Love”, was a number-six R&B hit.[2] After leaving Epic, Terry moved over to Virgin Records. His debut album for that label was 1994′s Heart Of A Man. The single, “When A Man Cries”, just managed the R&B Top 40, but the album was a commercial failure.[2] The following year, Terry contributed background vocals on the single “Gotta Have Love”, from Yolanda Adams’s album More Than a Melody. He also appeared in the video. Terry has performed on the soundtracks to Gladiator starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Tap starring Gregory Hines and King’s Ransom starring Anthony Anderson. In 1991, Terry earned two Soul Train Music Award nominations: Single of the Year and Artist of the Year for “With You”, but he did not win either category.

His most recent venture, the 2006 gospel album entitled Changed!, featured tracks such as “Praise Him”, “I Wanna Thank You, Lord”, “Nobody Like Jesus”, “Look to the Hills”, “Jesus to Hold” and “Come Child.” He is currently signed to Studio 25 Recordings.

The Whispers formed in 1964 in Watts, California. The original members included the twin brothers, Scotty (Wallace) and Walter Scott, along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1973, Harmon was replaced by former Friends of Distinction member Leaveil Degree. Scotty Scott’s fluid, melodic voice is featured on virtually all of their hits.

The group scored many hits on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1980 with “And the Beat Goes On ” (not to be confused with Sonny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On”) / “Can You Do the Boogie” / “Out the Box”. In 1987, they enjoyed a brief tenure in the Top 40 when “Rock Steady” became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100 (it reached #7) while also capturing the #1 spot on the R&B chart.

Although they recorded mainly in Philadelphia in the early to mid 70s, most of their studio work has been in Los Angeles. Their most successful period was in the 1980s with Solar Records (Sound Of Los Angeles Records), run by their manager at the time, Dick Griffey. The Whispers later founded their own Black Tie record label.

Marcus Hutson left the group in 1992 due to illness. According to the Whispers’ website, when Hutson died in 2000 they vowed to never replace him, and now perform as a quartet.

In 1979, the group changed its name to The Gap Band, and found success with the groundbreaking single “I Don’t Believe You Wanna Get Up and Dance (Oops!)”. During the next decade the group found their biggest success, with songs like “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”, “Humpin’ “, “Yearning For Your Love”, “Outstanding”, “You Dropped a Bomb on Me”, “I Found My Baby”, “Early In the Morning”, and “Party Train” that established the group as icons. The group found their greatest success in the UK when their 1987 single “Big Fun” reached #4 in the UK chart (“Oops Upside Your Head” had also reached #6 there in 1980).

Four of the band’s albums, The Gap Band II, The Gap Band III, Gap Band IV, and Gap Band V – Jammin, achieved platinum selling status, and four of their singles (“All Of My Love”, “Outstanding”, “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”, and “Early in the Morning”) reached the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts. Raymond Calhoun (writer “Outstanding”), Oliver Scott (co-writer “Yearning For Your Love), and arranger/producer Malvin Dino Vice (co-writer “Boys Are Back in Town”), were members of the backing band and major contributors to the Gap Band’s successful recordings.

Their success diminished during the mid-eighties, but The Gap Band continued to record albums and tour. Brother Charlie ventured into a solo career during a break from the group in the mid-1980s, and was featured on the 1985 hit with funk group Zapp titled “Computer Love”. Wilson’s powerful vocals were credited in part for establishing the careers of Guy’s Aaron Hall, Keith Sweat, and R. Kelly. The band reunited in 1996, and issued The Gap Band: Live and Well, a live greatest hits album.

Since the 1990s, many The Gap Band hits have been sampled and covered by the likes of Nas, Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Notorious B.I.G., II D Extreme, Blackstreet, Shaquille O’Neal, Mia X, and Mary J. Blige. “Outstanding” was even sampled for a famous 1990s commercial for malt liquor. Musicians inspired by The Gap Band include R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz, Guy, Blackstreet, II D Extreme, Mint Condition, Jagged Edge, D’Extra Wiley, and Aaron Hall. Recently, “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” was featured in the hit videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on funk radio station Bounce FM.

In mid-2005, Charlie released his third solo album, Charlie, Last Name Wilson, which was produced by R. Kelly.

The band formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables, and initially included members Robert Ward (vocals/guitar), Marshall “Rock” Jones (bass), Clarence “Satch” Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone). The Ohio Untouchables broke up in 1963 with Ward leaving for a solo career, but the core members of the group returned to Dayton and added Gregory Webster (drums) and Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner (guitar) in 1964. The group added two more singers, Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, and became the house band for New York City-based Compass Records in 1967. They soon became one of the better known R&B bands of the 1970s. Their song “Runnin’ from the Devil” inspired the Van Halen song “Runnin’ With the Devil”.

The group disbanded again in 1970. After again reforming with a line-up including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and keyboardist Walter “Junie” Morrison, the Players had a minor hit on the Detroit-based Westbound label in 1971 with “Pain” which reached the Billboard R&B Top 40. Detroit vocalist Dale Allen shared co-lead vocals on some of the early Westbound material, although not credited on the albums “Pain” and “Pleasure”.

The band’s first big hit was “Funky Worm”, which hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts and made the pop Top 15 in May 1973. The band signed with Mercury Records in 1974. By this time, their lineup had changed again, with keyboardist Billy Beck instead of Morrison and Jimmy “Diamond” Williams on drums instead of Webster. On later album releases, they added second guitarist/vocalist Clarence ‘Chet’ Willis and conga player Robert “Rumba” Jones to the lineup. Bonner sang lead vocals on most of the band’s hits.

The band had seven Top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976, including “Fire” (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for two weeks and one week respectively in February 1975) and “Love Rollercoaster” (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for 1 week in January 1976). The group’s last big hit was “Who’d She Coo?” a #1 R&B hit in August 1976.