Born Edlin Terry in Newark, New Jersey on January 30, 1941, the jazz alto/tenor saxophonist was better known by his nickname Buddy Terry. Attending Charlton Street School, he began his musical studies learning to play clarinet. He attended South Side High School where his classmates included trumpeter Woody Shaw, drummer Eddie Gladden, and organist Larry Young. At the same time, he dated future singer/actress Melba Moore. Terry’s first album as a bandleader was 1967’s Electric Soul!, followed a year later by Natural Soul. After the release of his sophomore album, he played on sessions with Billy Hawkes, Harold Maburn, and Joe Morello. He also briefly replaced David ‘Fathead’ Newman in Ray Charles’ band. Terry’s third album, Awareness, was released in 1971. His fourth album, Pure Dynamite, was released in 1972 and featured the first recorded version of Stanley Clarke’s “Quiet Afternoon”. Terry’s fifth and final album as a leader, Lean on Him, was released in 1973. Although he never recorded another album as a leader, he remained busy as a sideman, eventually joining the band Swingadelic and appearing on three albums with them between 2002-2007. Buddy Terry died on November 29, 2019 from a stroke.
