Sonny Terry was born Oct. 24, 1911, and Greene County is celebrating its native son with Sonny Terry Day on what would have been his 115th birthday.
Sonny Terry, born Saunders Terrell on a tenant farm outside Greensboro, is one of the most influential harmonica players in the history of American music.
Terry’s father taught him the basics, but after suffering eye injuries, Terry really learned to play harmonica on the streets, in churches and at dance halls to earn a living.
He partnered with Blind Boy Fuller in the 1930s and established a new partnership with Brownie McGhee after Fuller died in 1941.
The McGhee/Terry tandem became known for their folk music, but they also fronted a band called either Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers or Sonny Terry and His Buckshot Five. The partnership lasted for decades as they made recordings and performed on radio, stage shows, Broadway and international tours.
Terry became famous for his whoops, holler, train imitations, vocal effects, rhythmic drive and storytelling.
Terry performed in Broadway shows such as Finian’s Rainbow and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also appeared in the film version of The Color Purple written by another Lake Country legend, Alice Walker.
You could call it Sonny Terry weekend, because the festivities begin Oct. 23 with a program in the conference room at the Greene County Library from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. hosted by blues artist, musician and living history exhibit Veronika Jackson, who preserves the history of folk music with her performances.
“I enjoy performing,” Jackson said on her website. “Mostly my desire is to keep alive the grassroots of American folk music and sharing it with others from various backgrounds and cultures. I love entertaining, telling stories, and bringing joy to music lovers’ hearts.”
The library will host another program Oct. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. with Orice Jenkins.
Jenkins is a multi-genre troubadour, independent scholar and award-winning author originally from Hartford, Connecticut. His work spans music, genealogical research and public education, focusing on uncovering forgotten stories and keeping cultural traditions alive.
Sonny Terry Day is sponsored by the Greene County African American Museum and Friends and Supporters of Sonny Terry’s Life and Legacy.
One admirer on modernbluesharmonica. com said this about Terry’s skill as a musician: “Out of the greatest players I think he is number one. I have been playing for the past six years, and I find learning and playing Sonny Terry’s music is hardest by miles, such complex riffs and rhythms. Even when I have worked out what he is doing making it sound good is even harder. He is the ultimate master.”