Terry Ellis Biography
Born and raised in Houston Texas, Terry Ellis graduated from Worthing High School in 1982 and later earned a degree in Marketing from Prairie View A&M University in 1990. During her years at Prairie View A&M University, Terry honed her vocal skills as a five octave - mezzo soprano by being the lead vocalist for the Marching Storm Band. She participated in several talent showcases, performed on special programs including the Miss and Mr. Prairie View A&M University Pageants and also opened for many major acts in concert on the campus, including Grammy Award winning Singer / Producer, Kashif.
In 1988, a friend informed Terry about auditions being held in the Bay Area (California) for a girl group and recommended she try out. The group was originally supposed to be a trio. The producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy had already selected singers Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, and Cindy Herron. However, even though Terry showed up late for auditions, they gave her a shot. They were so amazed at her vocal prowess that they decided to make the trio a quartet. That group became the now legacy act – En Vogue. Ellis sang lead vocals on the intro of the group's first single "Hold On", which peaked at number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and sold over a million copies becoming platinum certified by the RIAA. Later that year, the group released their debut album Born to Sing, which went platinum. Ellis also sang lead vocals on the singles "Lies" and "Don't Go", both of which charted in top-five positions on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The group released their second album Funky Divas in 1992, which sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States. Ellis shares lead vocals on one of the album's top-charting singles "Free Your Mind". "Free Your Mind" won two MTV Video Music Awards, for "Best R&B Video" and "Best Dance Video". En Vogue released an EP in the fall of 1993, entitled Runaway Love.
By the mid-'90s, the members of En Vogue took a three-year break from recording, which gave Ellis a chance to record an album of her own, 1995's Southern Gal, released on Elektra. Two of the singles became hits: "Wherever You Are" and "What Did I Do to You."
In 1996, En Vogue returned to the studio and recorded, "Don't Let Go (Love)". The song was featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture Set It Off. Released in the autumn, it became the group's biggest hit to date going number one worldwide. It also sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide and became certified platinum by the RIAA
In 2018, Ellis along with fellow members Herron and Rhona Bennett, who joined the group in 2004 – released their most recent album titled, Electric Café on En Vogue Records / EOne Music and are still touring and electrifying the world with their music!
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How to book Terry Ellis?
Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Terry Ellis for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a
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How much does it cost to book Terry Ellis?
Speaking fees for Terry Ellis, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that Terry Ellis charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Terry Ellis, please fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
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Who is the agent for Terry Ellis?
All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Terry Ellis for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
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What is a full-service talent booking agency?
All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Terry Ellis or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Terry Ellis or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Terry Ellis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Terry Ellis for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Terry Ellis generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Rhiannon Giddens, Tulani, India.Arie, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Chaka Khan. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Terry Ellis for an upcoming live or virtual event.