Once years ago while visiting Chicago I was at one of my favorite places—Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art. I was browsing through some CDs for sale at Intuit’s small gift shop and stumbled across Jan Terri’s Baby Blues. It looked like a very locally produced recording. I had never heard of Jan Terri before and was instantly curious about this poofy-haired singer and her music.
Through the wonders of the internet I was able to track down some information about Jan. She is a native of Chicago who began recording her original music in the early 1990’s while working as a limo driver. Jan recorded two CDs and made a number of music videos. Some have said her videos are among the worst ever made, but others count them among the best. I lean toward the latter. You’ve gotta love her sincerity and creative commitment. Watch the video below of “Losing You” and see if you aren’t instantly charmed. Jan was the subject of a segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart back in 2000. Although Jan seems to have disappeared from the music scene, she still has a cult following of fans who never give up hope that someday she’ll perform again.
By the way, I didn’t buy that CD in Chicago which I have regretted ever since. Jan Terri’s recordings are true collector’s items. I recently saw a copy for sale on eBay for $300. Oh well.
Musings & Amusings 