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Born: February 3, 1949;
Died: June 28, 2009
Terry Black, originally from North Vancouver, began his professional career crooning on a local Vancouver music show. Black's fan mail was so impressive that Bill Gilliland of ARC Records signed him. With his first single for ARC, the P.F. Sloan/Steve Berri penned "Unless You Care" in 1964 riding up the charts (featuring soon to be legendary performers Glen Campbell, Hal Blaine and Leon Russell), Black managed to land himself on an opening bill with Lonnie Mack, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, and Gerry & The Pacemakers.
This overnight success led to winning 'Male Vocalist Of The Year' in the 1964 Maple Music Awards.
With a handful of successful singles to follow into 1965, Black quickly became Canada's newest teen sensation.
Due to a job transfer, Black's father moved the whole family to Hollywood in January 1966 which put Black in the heart of the entertainment world. Soon a movie script was written casting Black as Elvis Presley's brother with the hope of making him the next Fabian or Frankie Avalon. The movie did not come to pass and Black's family soon tired of the seedy side of the entertainment world and decided to return to Canada on the urging of Gilliland.
Black started on a path to gain some true musical chops on the one-nighter club circuit starting in 1968. A year later he joined the Toronto musical production of 'Hair' where he would meet his future wife Laurel Ward.
The two would join Doug Riley's ensemble act Dr. Music where they stayed for several singles, including the Top-40 hit "Sun Goes By", before branching off as a duo in 1972. The two would have a minor Canadian hit with the song "Goin' Down (On The Road To L.A.)"
Throughout the 1980's Black did jingles for beer and car advertisements and frequently teamed with his wife on reviving his career as a country artist.
In 1995 Varese Sarabande Records in Los Angeles were considering releasing a Terry Black "Anthology" consisting of his 1960s material and some current recordings including a new P.F. Sloan song. The CD was never released.
In 2000 both of Black's 1960's solo albums were re-issued on CD by Unidisc Records in Canada. Black had been hosting The Sixties at Six on Radio ’NL in British Columbia for several years but by 2009 had been phoning in his participation because of Multiple Sclerosis which had affected his mobility.
Black died of complications from MS on June 28, 2009.
with notes from John Rowlands and Geoff Gibbons.
Singles
1964 Sinner Man/Dry Bones (ARC) A-1063
1964 Unless You Care/Can't We Go Somewhere? (ARC) A-1074
1964 Say It Again/Everyone Can Tell (ARC) A-1080
1965 Little Liar/Ordinary Girl (ARC) A-1090
1965 Only Sixteen/How Many Guys (ARC) A-1103
1965 Kisses For My Baby/Poor Little Fool (ARC) A-1117
1966 Only Sixteen/Home From The Forest (ARC) A-1120
1966 Rainbow/ (ARC) A-1125
1966 I (Who Have Nothing)/Baby's Gone (ARC) A-1145
1966 Baby's Gone/Ordinary Girl [Version 2] (ARC) A-1149
1967 Wishing Star/Kick Me Charlie (ARC) A-1173
1972 Ridin' A Daydream/Boutique (GRT) 1230-14
as BLACK & WARD
1972 Goin' Down (On The Road To L.A.)/Oh Babe (Yorkville/ARC) YVS-45038
1972 Warm Days And Warm Nights/Love Is Gone (Yorkville/ARC) YVS-45065
1973 Love Is The Feeling/Now Is The Time (Yorkville/ARC) YVS-45101
1975 Back Up (Against Your Persuasion)/This Is My Confusion (RCA) PB-50053
1976 Long Time/Restless (RCA) PB-50137
1982 Waves Of Emotion (Duke Street)
with DR. MUSIC
1972 Try A Little Harder/The Land (GRT) 1233-06
1972 Sun Goes By/Gospel Rock (GRT) 1233-10
1972 One More Mountain To Climb/ (GRT)
Albums
1964 The Black Plague (ARC) ACM-5001
1965 Only Sixteen (ARC) ACM-5002
as BLACK & WARD
1982 All Night Long (Duke Street)
with DR. MUSIC
1972 Dr. Music (GRT)
1975 Retrospective (GRT) 9230-1070
Video
Compilation Tracks
1967 "Unless You Care" on 'What's Going On Here?' (Dunhill/ABC - USA)
1988 "How Many Guys" on 'Penny Arcade/Dunhill Folk Rock Vol. 2' (Big Beat - UK) WIK-75
1990 "Unless You Care" on 'Made In Canada - Volume One: The Early Years' (BMG)
1993 "Ordinary Girl (Version 1)" on 'Sound Of Summer Showers' (MCA - Japan) MVCM-387
as BLACK & WARD
1974 "Love Is The Feelin'" on 'Hot Hits' (Jukebox Int'l)
1990 "Sun Goes By" on 'Made In Canada - Volume Two: Into The '70's' (BMG)
