THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606140071
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 64 lines
IF YOU WANT to see why folks say Terri Clark has the face of a Vogue model, get a copy of last week's Country Weekly. The magazine ran eight pictures of her.
Better yet, see her tonight at the Little Creek Amphibious Base. She and John Berry will perform after the East Coast Bull Riding Championship.
Cowboys and country singers - sometimes it's hard to distinguish one from the other. Not so with the sociable Clark, who definitely doesn't take that cover-girl talk seriously.
``I'm boisterous, tomboyish,'' she said from Austin, Texas. ``I don't see myself as any kind of sex kitten, frolicking. I'm definitely goofy. That's what it says in my biography. It didn't take the writer long to find that out.
``You only live once. Life's too short. But I can be very serious about family, personal things and work.''
The fruits of her labor have been hit singles, videos and concerts. In 1987, Clark was holding down a $15-a-week nightclub stint in Nashville. She was 18 at the time. After a Mercury executive took notice in May 1994, Music City became Success City.
The singer's debut album, ``Terri Clark,'' yielded three hits - ``If I Were You,'' ``Better Things To Do'' and ``When Boy Meets Girl.'' ``Suddenly Single'' will be the last single released; her follow-up album is due just before Christmas.
``Everybody feels it will blow away the first one,'' Clark said. ``It's meatier, more emotional.''
Credit that to Clark, who writes most of her material.
``I like writing ballads better, but I like singing up-tempo better,'' she said. ``I want songs with lyrical and musical substance, something that's aggressive, even if it is a ballad.
``It has to have a point, an edgy musical quality.'
A native of Canada, Clark was well-versed in country music by the time she graduated from Medicine Hat High School in Alberta. Her grandparents, Ray and Betty Gautier, were not only stars of the Canadian country circuit, they had an impressive record collection.
Now, Terri Clark, all 5-feet-11 of her, has become a fan favorite. Readers of Country Weekly, with a circulation of 1 million, the largest magazine devoted to country music, voted her Favorite Female Newcomer.
``If it wasn't for the fans, I wouldn't be out here on a bus, having the fun, the great life,'' Clark said. ``Sometimes, performers lose sight of that as they consider sponsors, endorsements, record label executives, parties, limousines.
``Fans should be on top of the list. Fans and radio are the two most important elements.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Keith Carter
[Side Bar]
Who: Terri Clark and John Berry
When: 7 tonight
Where: Main Stage, Little Creek Amphibious Base Main, Norfolk.
Gates open at 2:30; East Coast Bull Riding Championship from 4:30 to
6:30.
Tickets: $17
Information: 363-4311
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB