ABOUT THE ARTIST

Biography
Terisa Griffin is a promising new singer, songwriter, and performer—promising only in the widespread public sense. Audiences in her adopted hometown of Chicago as well as the City’s lucrative, behind-the-scenes jingle industry are already in a passionate love affair with the gifts she has to offer. She sells out local nightspots with her one of a kind show, warms up (makes that heats up) concerts for the biggest names in music (from Isaac Hayes, Ashford & Simpson, Roberta Flack, Jerry Butler, Patti LaBelle, and Rahsaan Patterson), and is a first call for powerful players such as Congressman Jesse Jackson not to mention the Prestigious Urban League. Terisa Griffin is poised – like a gathering hurricane – at the cusp of major breakout stardom. Terisa reflects of her accomplishments, “I’ve been blessed, I don’t believe in luck. Being on that stage…baby…it’s almost as good as an orgasm!” Terisa was born in the small town of Monroe, Louisiana. Her father was a minister and her mother was a homemaker. Terisa is the second daughter of four singing sisters. Reverend Griffin as well as Terisa’s grandmother was an excellent singer, a calling that was passed down through the family. Terisa remembers with fondness how her father, who had perfect pitch, taught them how to harmonize on Sunday mornings. “We would sing ‘Jesus Gave Me Water,’ all in a row on the backseat of my father’s car on the way to church.” In high school, Terisa made the All-State Chorus for three consecutive years. On a vocal grant, she went to college where she became fascinated with chamber music and jazz. Terisa began to write her first songs by poems in a journal about love and life. It was also in college that Terisa discovered some other music—R&B and Rock N’ Roll. “I’ve always loved male artists,” Terisa says, “…the rawness in their voices as compared to the pretty female sound. Luther Vandross’ voice is like an instrument to me, very sensual. I appreciated Aretha Franklin for her strength and soul, Tina Turner for her zest for life and rough classiness, and Patti LaBelle for her gospel edge. You could never get over on my stern father with a Patti album! And, oh my God, got to love the Rolling Stones.” After tossing a coin on a map, Terisa headed for Chicago and landed national exposure singing backup for Diana Ross on an “Oprah” telecast. Ms. Ross pulled her out of the background to sing her anthem “Love Conquers All,” a gesture that moved Terisa to tears…but only after she wore the audience out with her performance. Now, it’s all about her long-in-the making debut album, one that promises to be a very personal and confessional affair. “I can’t write anything but what I honestly feel at the moment,” Terisa demurs, “…and that is ever changing. I wrote ‘I Still Can’t Stop Loving You’ right after my father passed, so it’s kind of sad. I also just wrote ‘Anymore’ which is about being in love with someone who suddenly doesn’t love you anymore.” Terisa is in preparations for beginning a series of One Woman shows. Part of her preparations consisted of taking acting lessons from Ellis Foster (of the Paramount Movie “Hoodlums”). Griffin wrote, produced, and starred in her three series of “One Voice, One Woman” shows. Through her production company, Griffin Productions, Terisa has successfully produced the following productions: “Fantasy, A Tribute to the Divas of Song and Stage” (Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn); “Queens of R&B, A Tribute to the Queens of Rhythm and Blues” (Dinah Washington, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summers, and Tina Turner); “Song Divas- A Tribute to Famous Song Divas” (Nina Simone, Phyllis Hyman, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, and Patti LaBelle. Terisa’s goal is to have a career as distinguished as the Divas and Queens she pays tribute to. One day, a promising young super talent will be doing SRO one woman tribute to Ms. Terisa Griffin. Rising star…Terisa Griffin…A Talent, A Voice, An Entertainer to be…

List to the interview here:
Interview with Terisa Griffin, Part 1
Interview with Terisa Griffin, Part 2
Interview with Terisa Griffin, Part 3

For more information, please visit her official site at: TerisaGriffin.com