From the bluesy opening tones of “Sunday Morn’”, to the slide stomper “Weight Of Your Sin”, and the heart tugging “Watch The Tracks”, it is obvious that songwriter Terry Okey has something to say. Something from the heart. “It took 25 years but I learned what makes a great song,” Terry says, “a song has to have emotion, real emotion”. His songs are drenched in heartache, longing, running the open road, floating on the wind, and down in the dirt drunk.

A lyrical craftsmen equally adept at folk, blues, country, rock, slide, fingerpicking, R&B, and Spanish/border styles, Terry lays out an American landscape every time he plays. He uses a variety of old and new guitars to express the very important meanings in these songs.

He plays a traditional steel-string Martin acoustic guitar, but also wields several resonator guitars for slide and finger-picking. He creates cactus-laden, south-western soundscapes on a nylon string flamenco guitar, rocks an acoustic 12 string, and at one point, teases the past out of a solid chrome Dobro guitar. Playing the authentic styles of these vintage guitars, he also jumps categories and utilizes them all in modern songs.

Terry hails from San Diego California, and at age 15 he picked up a guitar his folks brought back from a trip to Mexico, and it felt good. He listened and learned through high school, and shortly thereafter moved to Los Angeles, the west coast capital of live music, to immerse himself in the professional music scene. Okey bounced through a lot of musical styles, but after 25 years he fully realized a style all his own, which upon listening stands out as familiar, but also creative and new.

Terry has traveled across the U.S. and all the way across the Atlantic landing a three week tour and radio spots in Ireland. With over 100 songs in his musical quiver he has a lot of stories to tell! He has booked and played tours up and down the West Coast, has written and staged a historical slide guitar show, he scripted, produced, and filmed several music videos, and has had several Los Angeles artists covering his songs. He has played at The Original Farmers Market, The Grand Ole Echo, The Cinema Bar, The Billboard Live Club, The Trip Bar, Maui Sugar Mill, and Irelands 32, which is known as the home for americana music in Los Angeles. His songs “Going Home” and “Crave” won him honors at the famous bluegrass and roots festival, The Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest. His latest endeavor is a wrap-around record company, recording label, marketing and funding entity – all online!

Terry’s live band (Cactus Jam) features some of L.A.’s best roots players and his shows are known as a fiery celebration of music and life. His passion for music is immediately evident onstage. His energy, always rambunctious out of the gate, then sways between mid-tempo driving songs, lilting ballads, bluesy slide tunes, and rowdy honky-tonk.

Terry Okey grew up in the city of San Diego, California which has also produced top rootsy talents like Jim Croce, The Beat Farmers, and Nickel Creek.