TERRI GIBBS
Terri Gibbs (born June 15, 1954) is an American country music artist who was born blind. Between 1980 and 1990, she recorded seven studio albums, including four for MCA Records and one for Warner Bros. Records. She also charted thirteen singles on the Billboard country singles charts in that timespan, including her debut single “Somebody’s Knockin’”, which reached No. 8 on the country charts, No. 13 on the pop charts and No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary charts. (More from Wikipedia)
Adversity in life seems to be one of the sparks that have ignited many a talented musician over the years. The idea that being blind aids hearing and, thus, musical talent is nearly a cliché. Two of the greatest R&B artists of all time are blind: Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles; other notable blind musicians include José Feliciano, Clarence Carter, Terri Gibbs, Ronnie Millsap, and Doc Watson. There are many others who are less well known, such as Blind Lemon Jefferson (apparently the source of the name of the 1990’s band Blind Melon), Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, and (from the world of gospel music) the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi (also called the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, the Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama and the Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi). Frontman John Kay of Steppenwolf didn’t just wear sunglasses to look cool; he has a degenerative eye disease. There is no telling how many better known blind artists I am inadvertently omitting, there are so many.
(June 2011)
