Featured in the Soul of Key West, Volume II
The Soul of Key West Vol. I & Vol. II are available in most gift shops, The Island Book Store, and online at:
http://www.rwdepalma.com/shop Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-West-Ralph-Palma/dp/061587889X/ Terri White “ I have a song in my heart. The Lady's got to sing.”
Born and raised in Palo Alto, California, Terri White grew up in a family of musicians and vocalists and has been performing since she was eight years old. She started out as a "hoofer,” a tap dancer. She moved east to New York and sang in theater, plays, and then Broadway musicals for most of her career.
In between Broadway shows, White made a living singing in New York's piano bars. Many of the piano bars began closing after the 9/11 attacks, and those that remained seemed to want younger talent. Terri was having difficulty finding work. In 2008, Terri lost her apartment of fourteen years and was homeless, living in Washington Square Park. She survived through the kindness of friends including a police officer named David Taylor, a longtime fan of White's. He found her a place to live. An old friend Pat West gave White a call and asked if she could help open the Keys Piano Bar, located on upper Duval Street. Another friend bought her a plane ticket to Key West.
Musicians in Key West love to play and love to jam and so does White. She feels she has to sing as much as possible. She needs her music fix regularly. White listens to musicians, and they listen to her and are always trying new things with the same song. Terri White says the music is alive in Key West.
New York called again in 2009, and White was cast as Dottie in
Finian's Rainbow. After fourteen Broadway shows, White's career is skyrocketing again. Her latest solo show
Two Score won the Best One-Show Event in New York. The show tells the tale of forty years of White's life in music. It was a sold-out hit at the Waterfront Playhouse in April 2015.
Key West reminds White of a small town in Brazil, where her father is from, called Bahia. "When you come into town, you feel the rhythm. You don't really hear music at first, but there is a rhythm in the city that takes you on a journey. There is a certain pattern and energy, the way people move and walk, and the music comes right along with the people of Key West. You can tell the regulars from the tourists.” According to Terri White, Key West “brings out the riches of your heart.”
