Meet Dr. Terry Chance
We are proud to introduce the Musical Voice of the Spirit of the American Cowboy Foundation, Dr. Terry M. Chance.
Terry (Doc) Michael Chance was born on the West Texas Plains and lived the cowboy life on the Double Bar C Ranch in Lexington, Oklahoma. He was given his first guitar at age five, and started singing cowboy and gospel songs around the family campfire and in church. During his junior high school years, he lived next door to Conway Twitty who became his mentor in the field of country music. Numerous times, Conway took the young Terry on tours across the US, meeting many entertainers, such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette. At the time he never thought that he would later be performing with these great County Music legends. The experience of playing country and gospel music helped to shape Terry into a cowboy balladeer.
For 20 years Terry was the rhythm guitar player and back-up vocalist for Conway Twitty. Terry also had his own established career as a Southern gospel singer, first with Christian World Records, and then Associated Records, as well as his own label, Last Chance Productions. Elvis Presley had a great impact on Terry, when he began his gospel career. Gospel music has helped Terry to tell and sing ballads with a passion that can only come from the heart.
Today Terry has added an additional layer to his life. After the death of Conway Twitty in 1993, Terry spent several years playing with Mickey Gilley, Roy Clark in Branson MO. Putting his professional career on hold, in the fall of 2000, Terry decided to fulfill his lifetime dream of going to college. In 2003, he graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a BA in Communication Arts with an emphasis on Theatre. In 2005 he received his MA from Oklahoma City University in Theatre. In December 2007, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Tech University with a PhD in Fine Arts - Theatre. In the spring of 2008 he received the inaugural Paul A. Kaplan Visiting Artist Fellowship at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
Now that he has completed his education, Terry is returning to his cowboy roots as a balladeer, telling and singing stories of the Old West.
In addition to playing an incredibly inspiring role as the Musical Voice of the Foundation, Terry also serves as the Artistic Director for the New England Wild West Fest™, focusing on the development of a number of musical and theatrical elements that will continue to make the Fest a one of a kind celebration of the Spirit of the American Cowboy. Stay tuned for more about the contributions to the Foundation's work by this generous and talented artist.
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