When Terisa Griffin steps on stage, she doesn’t just sing—she commands the moment. Her voice is rooted in gospel. Her spirit is grounded in truth. The Louisiana native and Chicago-raised soulstress has carved out a lane all her own. Her journey—from the pulpit to the national spotlight on The Voice—is filled with grit, grace, and unwavering faith.
“I’m a little bit country, a little bit city, and a whole lot of grown,” she laughs. “Louisiana gave me my roots. Chicago gave me my wings.”
Terisa’s musical journey began in her father’s church, surrounded by powerhouse sisters. “I was five when I told my dad I could sing. And instead of saying ‘sit down,’ he said, ‘come on.’ That one moment taught me there’s always space for me in this world.”
Her latest single, When You’re Around Me, is deeply personal. It is a sultry ballad inspired by the emotional rollercoaster of nearly losing her husband to COVID. “After he recovered, he brushed up against me in the hallway. I thought, ‘I fall in love every time I’m around you.’ That moment birthed the song.”
Whether in studio or on stage, Griffin performs with full vulnerability. “Someone in that audience paid to forget their problems. I owe it to them to be there and take them on a journey,” she says. “I cry through my lyrics because I feel them. I want my audience to feel them too.”
That same raw honesty is what fans connected with during Season 3 of The Voice. Though she didn’t win, Terisa walked away with something greater—clarity. “It wasn’t about a title. It was about using the platform to build momentum,” she says.
The Voice was a milestone in Griffin’s career. Another highlight was The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she shared the stage with Diana Ross. Griffin’s career is studded with pinch-me moments. “When Diana passed me the mic, it was like getting stamped by royalty. If Diana Ross sees me, who can be against me?”
Beyond the music, Terisa’s heart beats for service. Her nonprofit, Better Love Yourself, provides college-bound youth with “footlockers” full of essentials—and messages of affirmation. “These kids need to know they’re loved, that they matter, and that someone believes in them,” she says. “Sometimes strangers show us the love we never got at home.”
The program’s impact is personal and profound. “I’ve been invited to weddings, baby dedications—some of these young people still call me ‘Miss Griffin.’ That’s my Grammy. That’s my Oscar.”
As an independent artist in an industry obsessed with fitting in, Terisa has never wavered. “I am that I am,” she declares. “I’ve been told I’m too soulful or too different. But when you tamper with your DNA to please others, you’re the one left unhappy. I refuse.”
Looking ahead, she dreams of duets with legends. She wishes Marvin Gaye were still alive for a duet. In the now, she hopes to sing with Raheem DeVaughn or Jill Scott. “Jill’s humanness, femininity and her power—I love everything about her.”
To her fiercely loyal supporters—the “T-Hive”—Griffin says: “Thank you. You’ve loved me fiercely. You didn’t have to, but you did. I’ll always show up for you.”
And she will. Because for Terisa Griffin, the stage isn’t just where she sings—it’s where she shows up, fully and fearlessly.
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