Terry McMillan (musician)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Terry McMillan


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Terry Lee McMillan
Born = Birth date|1953|10|12
Died = death date and age|2007|02|02|1953|10|12
Origin = USA
Instrument = Harmonica
drums
percussion
Genre = Country
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1973-2007
Label = RCA
Associated_acts = Eddy Raven

Terry Lee McMillan (born October 12, 1953, died February 2, 2007) was an American country musician who played harmonica and percussion. In 1973, he became a member of Eddy Raven's band in Nashville, and worked with Raven until 1975. He then started working with Chet Atkins playing harmonica with his touring show. Later, he toured with Jerry Reed and Jeannie C. Riley before becoming a very in-demand session musician. In the 1970s, he appeared on many albums including the recordings of Mickey Newbury and Gary Stewart.

He was a solo artist for RCA Records in the early 1980s, but returned to being a session musician, appearing live with, and on numerous albums for, artists including Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Kenny Chesney, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Waylon Jennings, J. J. Cale, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant and many others. In 1993 he played at President Bill Clinton's inaugural ball, giving a solo harmonica performance of "Amazing Grace". He recorded an album for Step One Records in 1993, with Nashville's Christ Church Choir. McMillan became one of country music's most popular session musicians on harmonica and percussion. [ [http://www.christchurchnashville.org/choir.htm Christ Church Choir] ] [ [http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1551563/02042007/brooks_garth.jhtml Harmonica Wizard Terry McMillan Dead at 53] Feb. 4, 2007]

After his family's house was destroyed in a 1992 house fire, McMillan became a devout Christian and focused extensively on inspirational music. In 1993, he released his first album, I've Got a Feeling, on Step One Records. He also released an album for Giant Records, Somebody's Comin', in 1997. In the years that followed, he became a frequent guest on Christian television programs.

Terry entered a thirty-day rehab program in December 2006 to help him recover from his continuing problems with drug addiction, but then died suddenly just weeks after being released. His body is buried in the Smoky Mountain Memory Gardens cemetery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which was his last city of residence.

Terry had expressed in a personal interview in December 2006 that the three most talented singers with whom he had ever ever worked were Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers), David Pack (Ambrosia), and Kenny Rogers. In this same interview, he also credited Chet Atkins with teaching him how to really play harmonica. Terry had an unusual instrumental style in that he held the harmonica in a position which was reversed left to right from the traditional position.

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