About Terry

Terry Blade is an award-winning singer-songwriter currently based in Chicago, Illinois, with roots in Washington, D.C. As a black queer artist, Blade's music is deeply informed by his personal experiences, blending genres such as Soul, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Indie, Folk, and Americana to create a unique and resonant sound. His powerful "sultry baritone" voice has drawn comparisons to artists like Antony and the Johnsons, Amos Lee, Tracy Chapman, and Nina Simone.

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Blade's discography includes the EP Misery (2020) and the studio albums American Descendant of Slavery, the Album (2021), which incorporated historical recordings of formerly enslaved African-Americans, Neo Queer (2022), Ethos: Son of a Sharecropper (2023), exploring his southern heritage and identity, and Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues (2025), a tribute to the history of Chicago Blues featuring archival interviews.

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​Themes of identity, love, mental health, resilience, and social justice are central to Blade's songwriting. With his album Ethos: Son of a Sharecropper, Blade consciously highlights the contributions of Black artists to Americana music. His recent single, "Tell 'Em" (2025), has been praised as a powerful blues anthem.