Racine native wins Grammy

(Photo: William Terry is on the far right playing bass.)

Racine native William Terry (Horlick, 1990) won a Grammy at the recent music awards. Terry won as a bass player for Terrence Simien and the Zydeco Experience. Simien is considered a Zydeco master; Terry has been with him for two years.

"He's done more in his short life, 35-36 years, than most people do their whole life," said Terry's brother, Scott Terry, who lives in Racine.

Terry moved away after high school to go to school at the University of New Orleans. His music career has taken off as a bass and tenor sax player for Simien and Buckwheat Zydeco. Terry has played in groups that headlined Summerfest and the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and traveled the world.

He was playing in Africa when Hurricane Katrina hit, taking out everything Terry owned. He moved back to Racine for awhile with nothing more than what he had on him when went on tour.

Terry is back in New Orleans now, and he has his own Grammy statue. The whole group won an award for Simien's album, "Live! Worldwide."

Scott Terry said he's still waiting for a picture of his brother with the statue. "He's definitely the first one in the Terry family to win a Grammy," Scott said.

(Photo: William Terry with his mom after playing at Summerfest with Terrence Simien and the Zydeco Experience.)