Mayor Ted Wheeler issued a Proclamation designating August 12, 2017, as “Terry Currier Day” throughout the City of Portland. The official announcement was made on July 4th at the Waterfront Blues Festival, prior to a set of music by Duffy Bishop.
As the Proclamation notes: “Terry Currier, owner of Portland, Oregon’s long-serving, independent, and iconic Music Millennium record store for over thirty years has provided tireless, unrivaled support and assistance to all facets of the renowned and well-established Portland music community, including musicians, venues and events…. Ted Wheeler proclaims August 12th to Terry Currier Day in Portland and encourages all residents to observe this day.”
Currier’s list of accomplishments is a long one. He began his career in 1972 as a clerk then buyer then district manager for DJ’s Sound City in the Northwest and Hawaii. He joined the Music Millennium staff in 1984 as a manager and bought the business in 1996. As the store flourished and rode the waves of format changes and economic upheaval, Currier ran Burnside Records and co-founded Burnside Distribution, a company that has helped thousands of musicians nationwide to reach a broader public. Away from the store, he has served on the boards of Cascade Blues Association, Portland Jazz Festival, and the Grammy’s Pacific Northwest Chapter of NARAS, Coalition of Independent Music Stores, and co-founded the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
Terry Currier has supported all genres of music or 40 years and even brought the phrase “Keep Portland Weird” to Oregon. Last month the national Music Business Association presented its prestigious Independent Spirit Award to longtime member Terry Currier in Nashville, and now, on August 12th the City of Portland will honor him as well.
The Cascade Blues Association is honored to have a long-time friend in Terry Currier. He has been a part of the organization since the beginning. One of our longest and most important and loyal supporters, a recipient of two Back What You Believe In Muddy Awards and an inductee into the Cascade Blues Association Lifetime Achievement. We congratulate Terry on an honor more than deserved!
The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival returns for its twentieth anniversary with a stunning cast of internationally acclaimed GRAMMY-winning jazz and blues musicians, local and regional bands, and high school groups throughout the weekend. The Festival also features 200 wines, fine art, food, and exhibitors. The Festival takes place Friday, August 25 through Sunday, August 27. Held in Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, WA, it is considered one of the best jazz festivals and the largest festival of its kind in the Northwest. 100% of the proceeds benefit Bravo! Vancouver (aka Bravo! Northwest) a 501c3 nonprofit arts organization.
