If I had to leave this earth tonight, would I be interrupting an urgent, important, new story of mine?
No. Not really. My story - which I have lived and enjoyed fully - is practically complete. I only need to share it with those who would understand and enjoy reading about my voyage as "Alice in Jazzland."
Fate came to me as a growing child in Cairo, Egypt, and led me firmly by the hand through a full life in Italy, France, and most of Eastern and Western Europe. We went on to New York and westward through America including Hawaii. Add to this Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Why me? In Egypt we have a single word, Maktoub, which explains fully, clearly and definitely, why it had to be so: it is written in your destiny before your time.
Lilian Terry, Nice, France, 2020
Lilian Terry in Nice, France, 2015
Singing Career
- From the early 1950s onward, Lilian Terry appeared at concerts, festivals, and radio and TV productions across Europe (both East and West), the USA mainland, and even Hawaii.
- She collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Drew, Tommy Flanagan, Ed Thigpen, and Von Freeman.
- In 2003, Lilian Terry presented her album “EMOTIONS” with son Francesco Crosara at the Midem Festival in Cannes, France, showcasing her artistry and passion for jazz.
- Lilian Terry was the Godmother, Singer, and Mistress of Ceremonies at the inaugural “Jazz Ladies’ Festival” in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, in March 2005. During this event, she announced her retirement from musical activities, marking the end of an era.
Musical Endeavors
- Lilian Terry’s influence extended beyond the stage. As a lyric writer in both English and Italian, she collaborated with leading Italian film composers.
- Her role as a producer for jazz shows on RAI (Italy’s national radio and TV) allowed her to curate guest artists and conduct live interviews. These weekly radio programs explored various facets of jazz’s history and development worldwide.
- Lilian Terry developed a rich collection of historic interviews with jazz legends, capturing their insights and experiences.
- In 1967, she represented Italy at the Warsaw Jazz Jamboree and played a pivotal role in the creation of the European Jazz Federation, where she served as vice-president of the Division of Education.
- Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she organized successful International Jazz Concerts across Italy, enriching the cultural landscape.
- Her commitment to education led her to conduct high-school lectures on the history of Afro-American music, accompanied by live jazz performances, inspiring young minds across Italy.
- In collaboration with Dizzy Gillespie, Lilian Terry founded the “Dizzy Gillespie Popular School of Music” in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, in 1983. The school continued its mission even after Dizzy’s passing in 1993.
- Lilian Terry’s translation work included rendering Gillespie’s autobiography, “To Be or Not to Bop,” and various writings by Duke Ellington into Italian.
- Her literary pursuits culminated in the publication of her first book, “Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray, and Friends,” by the University of Illinois Press in 2017.