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This is an official site hosted by The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson.
A little Terry Johnson history (better known to his friends as "Buzzy")...
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Terry Johnson's musical career actually began in 1953 with a group he formed and called The Whispers (no relation to the 60's group who borrowed the name.) With Terry as the group's primary lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, The Whispers recorded 4 songs for Gotham Records in 1954, which have become highly-sought-after collectors' favorites. Two sides in particular, "Are You Sorry?" and "Fool Heart" really showed off Terry's vocal versatility, as he sang the former in his seductive baritone and the latter in soaring falsetto.
At the same time Terry was recording and performing with his group The Whispers, The Flamingos were making some noise on the R&B charts, trying to cross over to the mainstream pop market. Terry knew some of The Flamingos through their church and that they had a few minor chart successes including "I'll Be Home", "A Kiss From Your Lips" and the highly-regarded "Golden Teardrops." When The Flamingos came to Baltimore in 1956 and reconnected with Terry, the group was excited to hear the songs that Terry had written and recorded with The Whispers. Knowing Terry's sound would be their ticket to cross over to the mainstream market, The Flamingos recruited Terry to not only sing with them, but become their musical and vocal arranger.
With Terry as one of the group’s primary lead singers, first tenor and guitarist, the group moved to New York and following a few critically-acclaimed sides for Decca, The Flamingos signed with George Goldner's End Records. In 1958, Terry wrote and sang a duet lead on the group's first nationally-charted cross-over single, "Lovers Never Say Goodbye." "Lovers" put the group on the map and set the stage for the 1959 release of "Flamingo Serenade", an album of old standards that Terry Johnson had re-worked on his guitar. While the group doesn't recall "I Only Have Eyes For You" being singled out for any special attention when it was recorded, DJs around the country started to spin it before it even came out as a single and it went flying up the charts from coast-to-coast. "I Only Have Eyes For You" hit the national charts on June 1, 1959. In 2009, Terry is celebrating the release's 50th anniversary.
The group followed up with another old standard "Love Walked In", the original "Mio Amore" and a song that Sam Cooke wrote for The Flamingos, "Nobody Loves Me Like You", all of which also placed high on the national charts. The years that followed included 5 appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, the Alan Freed movie "Go, Johnny, Go", 3 more hit albums and a total of 9 Billboard-charted singles. Terry also sang lead on "Love Walked In", "But Not For Me", "Time Was", “Crazy, Crazy, Crazy”, "When I Fall in Love" and "I'm In The Mood For Love" to name a few. Among the songs he authored are "Mio Amore", "You, Me and The Sea", "At The Prom", "Heavenly Angel" and many more.
In 1961, the group began to splinter and Terry formed his own Flamingos group. Shortly after moving the group to Pennsylvania, he was sought out by Joe Rock who managed The Skyliners and co-wrote all of their hits. By this time, Nate Nelson (another of the Flamingos’ original lead singers) had joined Terry’s group. Joe Rock was so impressed with the sound of Terry’s Flamingos with Nate, that he immediately offered Terry & Nate a record deal. Terry & Nate wrote a new song for the project called "Let's Be Lovers" and recorded it for Atco Records in 1964 as The Starglows. Terry's sound was so recognizable that George Goldner, president of End Records, had the record crushed because it showed the Flamingo sound had left with Terry and The Flamingos could never reproduce it again (as was proven through the years to follow.)
After a chance meeting with his old friends The Miracles, Smokey Robinson asked to hear some of the new material Terry was writing. Unbeknownst to Terry, Smokey had ascended to vice-president at Motown Records and was actually recruiting Terry and his sound to join him in Detroit. Terry soon became Smokey's writing and producing partner and at Hitsville, he wrote and co- produced for dozens of Motown artists while forging close friendships with many of the legends who have since passed on. Terry even received the coveted BMI Songwriter’s award for "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" which he co-wrote and co-produced with Smokey.
After a short stint as musical director for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Terry continued working with his Flamingos' group through the 70's, 80's and 90's and within the last 10 years, has seen a resurgence of accolades and acclaim.
The Flamingos received the Rhythm and Blues Pioneer Award in 1996, and shortly after were inducted into the the United Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Doo Wop Hall of Fame.
In 2001, alongside Michael Jackson, Paul Simon and Aerosmith, The Flamingos were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Terry Johnson received a Grammy Award commemorating the induction of The Flamingos' recording of "I Only Have Eyes For You" into the Grammy Award Hall of Fame.
To this day, The Flamingos' unique harmonies and phenomenally-choreographed stage shows are widely-regarded as inspirations to many groups that followed including Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Temptations, Four Tops and Tavares. Artists as diverse as Frankie Valli, Lou Rawls and Aaron Neville have all publicly named The Flamingos as major influences in their careers.
Both prolific and seminal in their influence and impact, the Flamingos were recently called "one of the, if not the, best of their era" by Rolling Stone. Today, along with Theresa Trigg (since 1976), Jeff Calloway (since 2002) and Joseph Mirrione (a 2005 addition), Terry Johnson continues to keep the original Flamingos' sound and legacy alive.
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