Dawna Lee Heising of “Eye on Entertainment” interviewed R& B singer, songwriter and actress Terry Dexter at the Time Warner Cable studio in Costa Mesa, CA on April 11, 2010. The multi-talented dynamo performed two original songs from her “Inspire” album, “I’m Free” and “Sister”. Dexter was raised in Detroit, Michigan, Motown’s birth place, and began her musical journey singing in her uncle's Baptist church as a child. At the age of 11, she began her professional career recording behind various artists, including Simply Red. She attended the University of Michigan for a year, and was signed to a recording contract by University Music Entertainment.
Signed to Warner Bros Records as a teenager, her self-titled, critically acclaimed debut album was released in 1999 and produced two Billboard singles. Dexter was featured on the remix version of the hit song “Spend My Life” by Eric Benet. Her voice helped make the song reach Number One, and the world discovered and fell in love with her. She later sang a duet with Jaheim called “Remarkable” from his 2x platinum album “Ghetto Love”, and performed with WILL-I-AM from the Black Eye Peas on the internationally acclaimed single “Lay Me Down”.
Dexter’s 2000 album "Better than Me" landed in the Number Two spot on the Billboard Dance charts, and she was joined on that album by two of electronic music’s legends Roy Davis Jr. and Hex Hector. Roy Davis, Jr. is famous for his remixes that catapulted the careers of Eric Benet, Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige and Seal. In 2003, Dexter and Roy Davis Jr. worked together again on his critically acclaimed Ubiquity album "Chicago Forever". Dexter and Davis went on to release another international album called “Wonderin".
In 2005, Patti LaBelle introduced Dexter on the Tonight Show and together they recorded the song “Ain’t No Way. That same year, Dexter was invited to sing on the Hurricane Katrina benefit album "Heart of America", where she performed with Wynonna Judd, Michael McDonald and Eric Benet. The year culminated in a live performance on the "Today Show" and at the World Series.
In 2007, Dexter played the lead role of Tyme Prentice in David E. Talbert’s touring musical stage play, “Love in the Nick of Tyme”, opposite Morris Chestnut, where she played to sold out audiences in most major cities, including the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The live film version was premiered on BET on April 11, 2010. Also in 2007, Dexter was featured on Jazz great Paul Taylor’s critically acclaimed album.
In 2008, Dexter co-wrote and performed two songs in the Bill Duke directed movie “Not Easily Broken”, and worked with George Duke on the theme song for the movie “Sweetwater”. She also sang a duet with Eric Benet called “Ever Love”, which was featured on Benet’s third album. In late 2008, Dexter’s much anticipated album “Listen” was released through Universal. It spawned the singles and videos for “Beautiful One” and “I’m Free”.
Coming up for Dexter are seven new electronic releases, including three new records with Roy Davis Jr., and she recently co-wrote a song for Patti LaBelle, which features Mary Mary and Kanye West, for LaBelle’s new gospel album. Dexter is working on a single which will be released this summer on the “Fat Cat Players” album. She is also working on a new album which she says is a tribute to her Motown roots in Detroit. The album will be released in Europe and the United States.
The multi-talented musician and actress also recently wrapped two lead roles in the feature films “DWB: Dating while Black” and “Brickwalk Café”. She can be reached at: www.myspace.com/terrydextermusic
To see a video clip of the performance by Terry Dexter, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn2j3mT4Mug
About Eye on Entertainment
"Eye on Entertainment", a division of Eye on Excellence™ Productions, is aired twice weekly on Time Warner Cable in Southern California. The EOE team covers entertainment and music events, film festivals, red carpets and award shows, and features interviews with successful people in all walks of life, exploring the traits they have in common. Dawna Lee Heising, EOE executive producer and host, is a member of SAG & AFTRA, has an MBA and PhD and is Ms. Universe 2010. The EOE team includes Linda Maxwell of Time Warner Cable, producer/photographer David J. McNeil, former United Artists executive who was one of the developers of Pay-per-View, director/ editor John Cox, director/editor Larry Cota, editor Gordon Michael, music director Dino Maddalone, Canadian reporter Keith Harris, Steve Van Wormer, business director Paul Heising and photographer Kevin Le. For more information, please visit http://www.eyeonentertainment.tv/, http://www.dawnaleeheising.tv/ , www.youtube.com/eyeonentertainment and www.youtube.com/eoeworldwide
