"When I heard Terrell Carter, I knew I was in the presence of someone extraordinary. I believe (he) will take this industry by storm . . . there is no doubt, when you hear Terrell, you will be blessed."
"When I heard Terrell Carter, I knew I was in the presence of someone extraordinary. I believe (he) will take this industry by storm . . . there is no doubt, when you hear Terrell, you will be blessed."
- Sheila E.
"Terrell, we're still feeling the goose bumps, thank you."
- Quincy Jones
"(Carter has) a voice from heaven."
-Yolanda Adams
Musical Stares
When Terrell Carter walks into a room, heads turn. Yes, he stands 6-foot-5-inches, sports a killer smile and movie-star good looks. But it's Carter's amazing vocal style that has music industry execs and artists alike humming his tune.
Carter, 24, wowed them at the Arista pre-Grammy party last year when he was paired with singer Faith Evans. Gospel diva Vanessa Bell Armstrong calls him her "vocal coach." Did I mention he's also toured with gospel greats Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams?
The guy can also write a song. Carter penned the first single off Tevin Campbell's latest album. And most recently, Carter and Eric Dawkins (Dawkins & Dawkins) co-penned the first single "I'm Yours," from Quincy Jones' latest NAACP Image Award-nominated album "From Q, With Love."
It comes as no surprise that Carter is being pursued by no less than four major record labels and is poised for stardom.
Now find out how this kid from Buffalo, New York's eastside landed in Hollywood's hotseat.
Carter Country
The phone rings. It's drummer and singer Sheila E. She asks Carter to come sing with her for a gig in Philadelphia. And, oh yeah, could he pop over to the studio to listen to some songs from her soon-to-be-released album?
These are the kinds of calls Carter gets these days.
I ask Carter if he is surprised by how far he's come in his career. He tells me that, while he is grateful, it has been a natural process.
"I always knew this is what I wanted to do," Carter says. "It was like second nature. It's like someone wants to be a doctor; they work hard at it and go to school for it. So I worked hard at being a singer. So when I worked with people they said, 'When are you going to do your own thing?'"
Carter is certainly on his way to doing his own thing.
He's already had showcases for two major record labels in Los Angeles, and this week, music execs from two other major labels are flying out from New York to meet him.
Shuffle Off From Buffalo
"I grew up in the 'hood' on the east side of Buffalo, New York," Carter tells me.
"Hollywood is about as far away from Buffalo as the east is from the west. And it's not even about material things," he says. "I have twice as much as what my mom had growing up but I have absolutely nothing compared to all the values she has instilled in me and she still can instill in me."
The Carter family also attended church, and it is there that he started singing.
Carter says, "(I went to church) with my mom and my grandma. I had my first solo at 7, which is late for most people. I was always afraid to sing when I was a kid."
He soon overcame this fear and started singing all over the city. He was lifted up as a good example, but Carter will be the first to admit that he was far from being the perfect kid.
Carter laughs when he says, "I was horrible. I had the biggest mouth. I always disrespected grownups and adults because I felt like I was an adult in a kid's body. I was a good kid about respecting my mom. I never stole or did the drugs or anything like that. I always said what everyone else thought."
But good kid or not, Carter wasn't immune to the reality of his neighborhood.
Humdinger
When Carter was only 16, he was a victim of a drive-by shooting. Though he wasn't the target, a stray bullet hit him in the leg.
He says the experience was "a wake-up call that I am not an exception to life and life's rules."
But Carter always knew that he was destined to leave his hometown for something bigger. The question was: How was he going to do it?
He says that fate led him to music icon Fred Hammond. Hammond is very well known in the industry as the founder of the group Commissioned and the inspiration for singers like Boys II Men and Brian McKnight.
Carter tells me, "I was singing at the Winans' church in Detroit and Fred just so happened to come to the service and hear me. And at that time he was looking for another guy to work with. So the next day, I went over to Fred's studio to audition for him."
Within days, Carter moved to Detroit to work with Hammond.
Singing Their Praises
Though many people are quick to praise Carter's talent, he wants to talk about the people who inspire him.
Of these people, Quincy Jones stands out.
"Quincy is just the man. He's done everything. He's an old-school musician that can come and do a track and outdo any producer today. He's always got what's fresh. He's the godfather of what we do today," Carter says enthusiastically. (Do you want a chance to win Quincy Jones' new CD?)
He also names Hammond as someone who set a high standard. Carter calls Hammond a "brother, father, coach and legend."
But perhaps it is the female singers who have inspired him most.
"Karen Clark (of the famed gospel group the Clark Sisters) called me when I thought it was over," Carter tells me, describing the time when he left the gospel world. I chose to do secular music and some people thought that was a bad choice. She said, 'You just keep God first.' And it made all the difference for me.
"In fact," Carter says, "Karen Clark is the reason that I sing the way I sing. Guy singers usually listen to guy singers. But there was a gospel singer named James Moore who is just phenomenal and he said, 'I listen to women singers.' So I listened to Karen and, of course, Vanessa Bell Armstrong."
Clark has agreed to sing with Carter on his album.
Of gospel sensation Armstrong, he says, "She's my ace, my baby, my partner in crime. She's just incredible. Vanessa is just the one."
This Guy's The Limit
So what's the best thing about being Terrell Carter?
"Being 6-5," Carter says quickly, noting, "When I stand in a crowd, I can always see ahead and see what's coming. I look at that as symbolic in life."
He says this philosophy allowed him to see beyond the boundaries of his hometown and eventually lead him to where he is today.
And where he is today is on his way to a phenomenal career.
What's Next For Carter: Carter starts shooting the feature film, "The Court," later this month. The movie co-stars Charles Malik Whitfield ("Temptations"), Sticky Fingaz ("Clockers," "Next Friday," "Dead Presidents"), Corey Hodges ("Bad Boys"), Sy Richardson ("Colors") and Richard Gant ("Nutty Professor 2," "Rocky 5").
Guess what? St. John called me last Friday and confirmed that Moore's last day on "Y&R" will be in May. I'll be "on the set" when Moore says his final goodbye. You can sign up for a free e-mail to notify you when this entertainment column is posted by clicking here. In the meantime, check out "Moore" of the story at www.soapstarworld.com.
Note: "On The Set" appears every week in our Entertainment section. To have this column delivered right to your e-mail box, click here. Have a question about your favorite celebrity? Let Steven know.
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