Recognized by Acoustic Guitar magazine as one of Texas’ 20 essential contemporary singer-songwriters, Terri Hendrix has earned fans worldwide for her singular fusion of folk, pop, country, blues, and jazz, delivered with poetic grace, melodic flair, and plenty of wit and wisdom. Along the way, she’s also co-written a Grammy-winning instrumental (the Chicks’ “Lil’ Jack Slade”), and garnered such honors as a star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, the Art of Peace Award by Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, and the Distinguished Alumni Award at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. She has also been Mermaid Queen, a SMART Award for artistic excellence recipient, and received an induction into the Women’s Hall of Fame in San Marcos, Texas. Her master recordings and archives are housed at the esteemed Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. Embodying Texas’ independent spirit, this classically trained vocalist and virtuoso guitar, mandolin, and harmonica player has done it entirely on her own, releasing every album since her 1996 debut on her Wilory Records label — often using a fan-financing model she developed years before crowdfunding arrived.
Terri Hendrix is also a tireless advocate for those with disabilities. She knows firsthand how quality of life can be impacted by one's health. With a diagnosis of Chiari Malformation, Epilepsy, Spasmodic Dysphonia, and Essential Vocal Tremor, she knows firsthand and the power the arts have to lift the human spirit. She continues to perform publicly and specializes in helping those with special needs write their own songs and stories. She does this through Texas Commission on the Arts and through a nonprofit she started in 2012, "Own Your Own Universe."