Terisa Griffin

Official Biography (courtesy of Terisa Griffin)

Terisa Griffin is a promising new singer, songwriter and performer -- promising only in the widespread public sense.

Audiences in her adopted home of Chicago as well as the City's lucrative, behind-the-scenes jingle industry are already in a passionate love affair with the gifts she has to offer. She sells out local nightspots with her one of a kind show, and heats up concerts for the biggest names in the music (Isaac Hayes, Ashford & Simpson, Roberta Flack, Jerry Butler, Patti LaBelle and Rahsaan Patterson, Floetry).

Terisa was born in the small town of Monroe, Louisiana, the second of four singing sisters. Her father, Reverend Griffin and her grandmother were excellent singers. She went to college on a vocal grant, where she became fascinated with chamber music and jazz. Terisa began to write her first songs by writing poems in a journal about love and life. It was also in college that Terisa discovered some other music -- R&B and Rock 'N Roll. "I've always loved male artist," Terisa says "...the rawness in their voices as opposed to the pretty female sound. Luther Vandross' voice is like an instrument to me, very sensual. I appreciated Aretha Franklin for her strength and soul, Tina Turner for her zest for life and rough classiness, and Patti LaBelle for her gospel edge. You could get over on my stern minister father with a Patti album! And, oh my God, got to love the Rolling Stones!"

After tossing a coin on a map, Terisa headed for Chicago and landed national exposure singing back-up for Diana Ross on an "Oprah" telecast. Ms. Ross pulled her out of the background to sing her anthem "Love Conquers All," a gesture that moved Terisa to tears ...but only after she wore the audience out with her performance.
"I can't write anything but what I honestly feel at the moment," Terisa demurs, "...and that is ever-changing. I wrote "I Still Can't Stop Loving You" right after my father passed, so it's kind of sad.

Through her production company, Griffin Productions, she wrote, produced and starred in a series of "One Voice, One Woman" shows -- "Fantasy, A Tribute to the Divas of Song and Stage" (Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn); "Queens of R&B, A Tribute to the Queens of Rhythm and Blues" (Dinah Washington, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summers and Tina Turner); "Songs Divas - A Tribute to Famous Song Divas" (Nina Simone, Phyllis Hyman, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole and Patti LaBelle.

Terisa's goal is to have a career as distinguished as the Divas and Queens she pays tribute to. Rising Star ...Terisa Griffin ...A Talent, A Voice, An Entertainer to be...