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Sonny Terry

Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and occasionally imitations of trains and fox hunts.

Birth and Death Data: Born Greensboro (city in and the county seat of Greene County, Georgia, United States), Died March 11, 1986 (Mineola (village in Nassau County, New York, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: harmonica, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia MEM101 10-in. 7/12/1939 I don't care how long Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM108 10-in. 7/12/1939 I'm a stranger here Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM110 10-in. 7/12/1939 I want some of your pie Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM111 10-in. 7/12/1939 Jivin' Big Bill blues Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM112 10-in. 7/12/1939 Woman you better wake up Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM113 10-in. 7/12/1939 Have you decided (which way to go) Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia MEM114 10-in. 7/12/1939 I see the sign of judgement Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia MEM115 10-in. 7/12/1939 Everybody wants to know how I die Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia MEM117 10-in. 7/12/1939 I'm pretty good at it Sonny Jones Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia MEM126 10-in. 7/13/1939 I feel like shoutin' Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia MEM127 10-in. 7/13/1939 Jesus touched me Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia MEM128 10-in. 7/13/1939 Talkin' with Jesus Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia WC3138 10-in. 6/19/1940 I don't want no skinny woman Blind Boy Fuller ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia WC3139 10-in. 6/19/1940 Bus rider blues Blind Boy Fuller ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia WC3140 10-in. 6/19/1940 You got to have your dollar Blind Boy Fuller ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia WC3143 10-in. 6/19/1940 Bye bye baby Blind Boy Fuller ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia WC3145 10-in. 6/19/1940 No stranger now Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia WC3146 10-in. 6/19/1940 Must have been my Jesus Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia WC3147 10-in. 6/19/1940 Jesus is a holy man Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia WC3148 10-in. 6/19/1940 Whistle blues Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia WC3149 10-in. 6/19/1940 Blowing the blues Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia WC3154 10-in. 6/19/1940 Precious Lord Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal solo, with harmonicas and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 23882 10-in. 12/28/1938 Train whistle blues Sonny Terry Harmonica solo instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 23883 10-in. 12/28/1938 New love blues Sonny Terry Harmonica solo instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia W26594 10-in. 3/5/1940 Blue and worried man Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia W26596 10-in. 3/6/1940 Harmonica blues Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia W26597 10-in. 3/6/1940 Harmonica and washboard breakdown Oh Red ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia W26599 10-in. 3/6/1940 Somebody's been talkin' Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia W26600 10-in. 3/6/1940 Three ball blues Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia W26602 10-in. 3/6/1940 Harmonica stomp Oh Red ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica, washboard, and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia W26603 10-in. 3/6/1940 Harmonica and washboard blues Oh Red ; Sonny Terry Male vocal solo, with harmonica and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia W26616 10-in. 3/7/1940 Good feeling blues Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia W26617 10-in. 3/7/1940 You can't hide from the lord Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal trio, with guitar and washboard vocalist  
Columbia W26618 10-in. 3/7/1940 Twelve gates to the city Brother George and his Sanctified Singers Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31569 10-in. 10/22/1941 Goodbye now Brownie McGhee Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonicas, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31573 10-in. 10/22/1941 Workingman's blues Brownie McGhee Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31587 10-in. 10/23/1941 I'm sittin' here tonight Buddy Moss Male vocal solo, with guitar, harmonica, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31593 10-in. 10/23/1941 Back home blues Brownie McGhee Male vocal solo, with guitar and two harmonicas instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31597 10-in. 10/23/1941 My baby's so sweet Sonny Terry ; Jordan Webb Male vocal solo, with harmonicas and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia 31598 10-in. 10/23/1941 Touch it up and go Sonny Terry ; Jordan Webb Male vocal solo, with harmonicas, guitar, and washboard vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica  
Columbia 31599 10-in. 10/23/1941 Weary and worried blues Sonny Terry ; Jordan Webb Male vocal solo, with harmonicas and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist  
Columbia 31600 10-in. 10/23/1941 What do you know Joe Sonny Terry ; Jordan Webb Male vocal solo, with harmonicas, guitar, and washboards vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica  
Brunswick SC22 10-in. 10/29/1938 You're laughing now Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica  
Brunswick SC24 10-in. 10/29/1938 Long time trucker Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica  
Brunswick SC25 10-in. 10/29/1938 Big house bound Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar instrumentalist, harmonica  
Brunswick SC26 10-in. 10/29/1938 Flyin' airplane blues Blind Boy Fuller Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and washboard instrumentalist, harmonica  
Atlantic 416 10-in. 5/10/1950 Let's do it Granville "Sticks" McGhee ; Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies (Sticks McGhee's) instrumentalist, harmonica  
Atlantic 417 10-in. 5/10/1950 She's gone Granville "Sticks" McGhee ; Spo-Dee-O-Dee Buddies (Sticks McGhee's) instrumentalist, harmonica  
Atlantic 418 10-in. 5/10/1950 Housewarmin' boogie Granville "Sticks" McGhee ; Harry Van Walls instrumentalist, harmonica  
ARC 22204 10-in. 12/18/1937 String bean blues The Devil's Daddy-in-Law Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment), and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
ARC 22205 10-in. 12/18/1937 Down home blues The Devil's Daddy-in-Law Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment), and harmonica instrumentalist, harmonica  
Decca 73466 3/26/1946 Sometime Josh White instrumentalist, harmonica  
Decca 73467 3/26/1946 The lass with the delicate air Josh White instrumentalist, harmonica  
Decca 73468 3/26/1946 I gave my love a cherry Josh White instrumentalist, harmonica  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Terry, Sonny," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/346623.

Terry, Sonny. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/346623.

"Terry, Sonny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/346623

External Sources

Wikipedia: Sonny Terry

Discogs: Sonny Terry

Allmusic: Sonny Terry

Grove: Sonny Terry

IMDb: Sonny Terry

Britannica: Sonny Terry

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Terry, Sonny - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80131934

Wikidata: Sonny Terry - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q781878

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/12493027

MusicBrainz: Sonny Terry - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3e07fca6-2c7f-4fc1-a138-ec6cd7e4be8a

Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/62125 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/62125

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