---
name: "Sonny Terry"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sonny-terry"
fi1m_id: "sonny-terry"
imdb_id: "nm0856079"
tmdb_id: 70275
wikidata_id: "Q781878"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "24 October 1911"
died: "11 March 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-26T00:37:59.630830+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sonny Terry

## Identity

Sonny Terry

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sonny-terry
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sonny-terry
- **IMDb ID:** nm0856079
- **TMDB ID:** 70275
- **Wikidata ID:** Q781878
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Terry, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q781878, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856079/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70275

Composer. Born 24 October 1911 in Mineola, New York, U.S.. Died 11 March 1986.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 24 October 1911, Mineola, New York, U.S.
- **Died:** 11 March 1986
- **Active:** 1977–1985
- **Also known as:** Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Saunders Terrell
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 crew
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 80 (2), 1980s 64 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Terry, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q781878, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856079/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/70275

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Stroszek*](https://film.one/film/stroszek.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Sonny Terry (born Saunders Terrell) was an American musician and actor. He performed as a blues harmonica player and singer, often in partnership with guitarist Brownie McGhee under the name Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

Terry appeared as a blues singer in the film *The Jerk* (1979) and as a jook joint musician in *The Color Purple* (1985). He composed music for the film *Stroszek* (1977). He also performed on Broadway in the original productions of *Finian's Rainbow* (1947–48) and *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof* (1955–57).

*Sources: imdb.com, britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (2)

- *The Color Purple* (1985), Fi1m 64, as Jook Joint Musician — [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)
- *The Jerk* (1979), Fi1m 77, as Blues Singer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-jerk.md)

### Crew (1) — the average rests on these

- *Stroszek* (1977), Fi1m 82, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/stroszek.md)

## Complete filmography (10)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 2* (2003), as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
- *The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, Vol. 1* (2003), as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
- *Crossroads* (1986), Musician
- *The Color Purple* (1985), as Jook Joint Musician — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)
- *The Jerk* (1979), as Blues Singer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-jerk.md)
- *Stroszek* (1977), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/stroszek.md)
- *Leadbelly* (1976), Musician
- *American Folk-Blues Festival: The Blues and Gospel Train* (1964), Actor
- *The End of the Line* (1959), Music
- *Color Cry* (1952), Musician, Music

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sonny-terry