Theresa Ann "Terri" Allard is an American
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
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Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
singer-songwriter from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. She was born on August 31, 1962. Her most recent album, ''Makes No Sense'', features a song she wrote with
Mary Chapin Carpenter.
When not making music, Allard is the host of a television talk show on public television station
WHTJ "''Charlottesville Inside-Out".'' In 2017, she celebrated a decade with the show.
Early
Allard attended Orange County High School in
Orange, Virginia
Orange is a town and the county seat of Orange County, Virginia, United States. The population was 4,880 at the 2020 census, representing a 3.4% increase since the 2010 census. Orange is northeast of Charlottesville, southwest of Washington, ...
where she excelled in long distance running. She set record times in the one-mile and two-mile distances in 1980,
the latter of which stood for many years. Phil Audibert, a local author and musician, gave Allard her first guitar lesson. As a fourth-grader, she sang "
Leaving on a Jet Plane
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" is a song written and recorded by American singer John Denver in 1966, originally included on his debut demo recording ''John Denver Sings''. Its original title was "Babe I Hate to Go". He made several copies and gave t ...
" at a
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...
talent contest, accompanied on the guitar by
Extension agent
Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for ru ...
Ted Carroll.
Her early contest recognition led to the Lion's Club Bland Music Contest and then folk concerts at the Four County Players theater in Barboursville. She and Mark Brookman, a
Gordonsville, Virginia native, put together a musical duo "that was making people take notice."
After finishing college (well into her 20's), Allard decided to pursue her music. For a few years she performed weekly at Random Row, a bar in
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
. She slowly built up a repertoire of original material, and developed a fan base. As she puts it, "Once I buckled down, I was very serious about it and very focused about it and started writing."
Billy Marshall Brockman, a fellow
Orange County native, gave Allard the push she needed to launch her music career properly. "He taught me over half of what I know about music," she says.
Career
One night, playing at a club in
Harrisonburg, Allard and Brockman were on break, sitting at the bar, discussing music with a bartender named Dwayne. "I had a crush on him," Allard admits. Soon they were married.
Her new husband had a degree in marketing and "he taught me about it as well," Allard says. She produced her first CD in 1994, with four more to follow — "all of them released under the independent label she and Dwayne started."
While their friends were having children and buying cars and houses, Allard and her husband were plowing all their money into "running up and down the road, putting together press packets, marketing this product called Terri Allard." As she recalls:
Allard formed the Terri Allard Jazz Quartet with some of "the area's top musicians," including drummer Robert Jospé, pianist Bob Hallahan, and bassists Pete Spaar. The group performs popular jazz standards with favorites including those by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Etta James.
Reception
Discography
* ''Terri Allard'' (1994)
* ''Rough Lines'' (1996)
* ''Loose Change and Spare Parts'' (1999)
* ''Makes No Sense'' (2002)
* ''Live From Charlottesville'' (2006)
Honors, awards, distinctions
* "Best of CVille" songwriter winner.
* WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Female Country Vocalist.
Personal
Allard's father Bill is also a musician. Her brother Scott A. Allard, a professional actor, died in 2005 of
melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...
.
Her son Will has performed with her band from a very young age.
References
External links
Official Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allard, Terri
1962 births
Living people
Songwriters from Virginia
American women singers
Folk musicians from Virginia
Jazz musicians from Virginia
Musicians from Charlottesville, Virginia
People from Barboursville, Virginia
21st-century American women musicians