Teresa Fay Gibbs (born June 15, 1954)^[2] is an Americancountry music artist. Between 1980 and 2017, she recorded elevenstudio albums, including four forMCA Records and one forWarner Bros. Records. She also charted 13singles on theBillboard 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. She also entered the country top 20 with "Rich Man", "Mis'ry River", "Ashes to Ashes" and "Anybody Else's Heart but Mine." Gibbs has been blind since infancy.

Gibbs was born inMiami,Florida, United States, but raised in theAugusta, Georgia, suburb ofGrovetown.^[1] Although initially having eyesight, she had been born premature and subsequently lost her eyesight in an incubator accident.^[3] In her own words, "I was quite small (2 lbs., 11 ounces) and, so, they had to put me in an incubator. At that point in time, they did not know to cover the eyes and my retinas were damaged." At six months of age, Gibbs was diagnosed with retrolental fibroplasia and declared blind.^[4] She learned to playpiano at age three.^[1] As a child, she sang in the churchchoir and at talent contests, and she opened forBill Anderson at the age of 17.^[5] Her parents wanted her to be treated no differently from sighted people, so she was sent to public school and graduated fromButler High School in Augusta in 1972.^[6] She performed in and around the Augusta area and eventually, she metChet Atkins, who advised her to move toNashville, Tennessee, to pursue a country music career, which she did at age eighteen.^[1] After failing to find a record deal, she moved to Miami and joined a band called Sound Dimension.^[1] She continued to perform locally, later forming a band called the Terri Gibbs Trio, which performed at aSteak and Ale inAugusta, Georgia.^[5] Gibbs then sent ademo tape torecord producer Ed Penney ofMCA Records, signing to the label in 1980.^[1] Penney was a former Boston disc jockey and a long-time songwriter. He liked her voice on her demo, but he felt she needed stronger material. He co-wrote "Somebody's Knockin'" for her and also produced the song.^[7]

Gibbs' first single release was "Somebody's Knockin'", which was also the title of her 1981 debut album. This song was a crossover hit upon its 1980 release, reaching No. 8 on the U.S. country charts, No. 13 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary charts.^[8] It was followed by "Rich Man", a No. 19 country hit which also entered the pop charts.^[8] Her debut album won her theAcademy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist award.^[1] She was also the first winner of theCountry Music Association's Horizon Award (which is awarded to emerging artists),^[9] and was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Country Song andBest Female Country Vocal Performance for "Somebody's Knockin'."^[5] Gibbs performed on theGrand Ole Opry as well.^[5]

MCA released her second album,I'm a Lady, later in 1981. This album was less successful,^[1] although it produced a No. 12 hit in "Mis'ry River,"^[8] its second and final single. 1982'sSome Days It Rains All Night Long produced a Top 20 hit in "Ashes to Ashes" and a No. 45 in its title track.^[10] Also in 1981 and 1982, Gibbs toured withGeorge Jones and sang duets with him onstage.^[1] Her final MCA album,Over Easy, also produced a minor hit in "Anybody Else's Heart but Mine", and after releasing a compilation calledThe Best of Terri Gibbs, she left the label.^[11]

Gibbs switched toWarner Bros. Records for her fifth album, 1985'sOld Friends.^[12] All three of this album's singles — "A Few Good Men" (which featuredKathy Mattea onbacking vocals^[10]) "Rockin' in a Brand New Cradle" and "Someone Must Be Missing You Tonight" — missed the country Top 40.^[10]

Gibbs later shifted her focus toContemporary Christian music, recordingTurn Around andComfort the People in 1987 and 1988, respectively, on Canaan Records.^[11] The former gave Gibbs her second Grammy nomination.^[11]What a Great Day, her third Christian album, followed in 1990 on the Morning Gate label.^[11] In 2002, Terri released the album,No Doubt About It, followed by the 2010 release ofYour Grace Still Amazes Me. In 2014,The Best Of Terri Gibbs, featuring 10 of her best loved Country hits. In June 2017, Terri released her sixth Christian album,Sum It All Up.

Gibbs marriedGrovetown, Georgia, citycouncilman David Daughtry on April 28, 1988, and remained married to him until his death in February 2008.^[11][13] They had one son, David Wayne Daughtry II, born October 20, 1989.^[13]

Gibbs has won several industry awards. She wonAcademy of Country Music's Best New Female Vocalist and theCountry Music Association's inaugural Horizon Award (for artists rising to new levels of prominence).^[14]

• 1954 births
• 20th-century American singer-songwriters
• American country keyboardists
• American women country singers
• American country singer-songwriters
• American performers of Christian music
• Blind country musicians
• American blind singers
• American blind keyboardists
• Country musicians from Florida
• Living people
• MCA Records artists
• Musicians from Miami
• Singer-songwriters from Florida
• Warner Records artists
• People from Grovetown, Georgia
• 20th-century American women singers
• Musicians from Augusta, Georgia
• Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state)
• 21st-century American women
• Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)

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