Your caught up with Grammy® Nominated duo Helen Bruner & Terry Jones.
Hi Helen and Terry, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
Helen’s answer: At 14 years old had my first paid gig was at a block party with my first band. I could believe I got $15 for singing (LOL). something that I did around the house,
Terry’s answer: At the age of 12 I was hired to perform for my teachers wedding and I received $200.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Introducing Helen Bruner & Terry Jones, the Grammy®-nominated duo whose musical prowess has made an enduring impact on the industry. As seasoned producers, accomplished songwriters, and captivating performers, they have woven enchanting melodies and worked with renowned artists such as Celine Dion and Gloria Estefan. Terry Jones’s spellbinding vocals on the 90’s hip hop classic “How High” with Redman and Method Man left audiences across the globe captivated on this gold seller.
Their most recent album release, produced, written and all vocals performed by Helen Bruner & Terry Jones is “2nd Overture,” which hit #1 on the UK Soul Charts for two consecutive weeks, cementing Helen Bruner & Terry Jones as musical powerhouses.
Their talents extend beyond the recording studio, with their compositions gracing major films and TV shows, and their captivating voices lending an aura of magic to national commercials. Not stopping at music, they’ve showcased their diverse talents as TV directors, adding a new dimension to their creative repertoire.
Their accolades also include a 51st Grammy® Nomination for their song “Baby I Know,” a collaboration with Terry’s mother, the legendary late soul singer Linda Jones for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
Helen Bruner & Terry Jones continue to push boundaries and shape the music industry with their relentless pursuit of excellence. Brace yourself to be captivated by their unique artistry and infectious energy as they continue to leave an indelible mark on the world of music.
We have also served as elected leaders of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy ( The Grammys) Helen was elected the first female President of the Chapter in 2002. Both Terry and Helen have served as National Trustees over the years and Terry is currently a National Trustee and co- chair of the National Membership committee. We have been in the music industry for over 30 years our families were in the music industry, there is a long legacy. Terry’s mother was a famous soul singer of the 60’s and early 70’s her name is Linda Jones he R&B Billboard top 5 record Hypnotized is and R&B Classic and in September 0f 2023 was inducted into the National R&B Hall Of Fame. Helen’s grandfather was the lead singer of the gospel group the Robert Martin Singers, Norsalus Mckissick and is in the Smithsonian Museum.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We were both signed to major record labels in the 90’s Helen was signed to Cardiac/Virgin records and Terry to Atlantic records. After working hard perfecting our craft and both have success Helen with a top 20 record on the Billboard dance charts , Terry the voice on the gold seller How High with Redman & Method Man . Performing at majors shows, Helen’s video’s played on Bet and gracing the covers of all of the black Teen Magazines, when that was a thing. Believing we were both on their way and then we were dropped by our labels because on Helen’s label the superstars want millions for their next recording and the label dropped 72 artist to cut cost and Helen was one of them, completely devastated. Terry’s manager snorted all of her album budget up with cocaine and Atlantic records shelved her. We both thought we were failures but then we received a large check from our Performance Right’s company (ASAP). and the royalties were from London. We hoped a plane and was received as though we were music royalty. That is when we realized we weren’t failures it was just business for the labels. We continued writing and worked abroad for over 10 yrs collaborating with many and living in Milan back and forth. We learned so much about the global music industry, came back to the US started our label Philerzy Productions released our Grammy Nominated song Baby I Know and now we created an offset to the company Philerzy Entertainment LLC. There is a lot of history here too much to type. LOL
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
The book is All You Need To Know About The Music Business by Don Passman, a must have for people breaking into the music industry. You will refer back to this book again and again if you are serious about becoming successful and knowing the business of music. The top entertainment lawyers have this book in their personal library.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.helenbrunerandterryjones.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenandterry/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenBrunerandTerryJones/
- Twitter: @philerzy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HelenandTerryTV
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/28Ic6yYYrl8oOnMLRbfvdw?si=Yal8BhqsTM-7vwaxVT6Oag
Image Credits
Adria Diane Hughes