On this day in 1968, country singer-songwriter Terri Clark was born in Montreal, Quebec. At just 18, Clark moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue music. During high school, she saved up money by working at a Chinese restaurant so she could make the move.
In the beginning, Clark played at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, which was right across from the famous Ryman Auditorium. As she revealed in an interview, she would sometimes visit the Ryman when she was feeling low or discouraged.
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“I used to actually go in and take the tour of the Ryman when I was looking for inspiration because I was so just downtrodden and discouraged and 18 and so far from my home and my country,” she told Jacy Dawn Valeras. “I would go in there and just soak in that energy, and that history, and it would remind me of why I went through all of that and why I made the sacrifice to be here.”
In 1994, Clark was signed to a record deal at Polygram/Mercury Records. What quickly followed was a Top 5 debut single in the US and Canada (“Better Things To Do”). After that, she released a debut album, which included her first No. 1 hit in her home country.
Accolades and Accomplishments
Since those early days, Clark has performed in both Canada and the US. She’s also been inducted into the renowned Grand Ole Opry, and the Canadian Country and Canadian Music Halls of Fame.
According to her website, Clark currently boasts “over five million albums sold, three RIAA Platinum and two RIAA Gold-certified albums, Canadian Gold, Platinum, Double Platinum and Triple Platinum-certified albums, 13 Top 10 singles including six No. 1s in Canada and the U.S., 19 CCMA Awards and multiple ACM and CMA Female Vocalist of the Year award nominations.”
During her Opry induction in 2004, Clark shared a sweet story about her traveling to Nashville when she was young. For her, the Opry was always the goal.
“17 years ago, my mom and her best friend packed a girl with dreams bigger than Canada into a Honda Civic and said, ‘We’re taking you to Nashville,’” she shared. “And when we crossed the border, the Canadian border into the United States, the guard at the border said, ‘Where are y’all headed?’ and we said ‘The Grand Ole Opry.’ Oh gosh, it’s been half a lifetime, but now I feel like I’m home.”
Photo by: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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