Philly-based singer Terri Wells built her career from the ground up within that musical city’s soul ecosystem, evolving from group member to songwriter, in-demand session vocalist, and solo artist.
In the mid-1970s, Wells co-founded City Limits, a local group that secured a short-lived deal with Philadelphia International Records. After the group dissolved, Dexter Wansel brought her into PIR as a session singer, where she contributed to recordings and tours with artists including Lou Rawls, M.F.S.B., Leon Huff, and Jean Carn, perhaps most notably Wansel’s “The Sweetest Pain.”
By 1980, Wells joined Roy Ayers on tour and record. She co-wrote “Let’s Stay Together” for his Feelin’ Good album, and was featured on “Turn Me Loose.” She also wrote songs for Jean Carne (“Closer Than Close”) and Patti LaBelle (“I Can’t Forget You”).
Her solo break came when producer Nick Martinelli recommended her to Philly World Records, leading to her 1984 singles “You Make It Heaven” and a remake of the Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around,” and the album Just Like Dreamin.
