Terry LaVerne Stafford (November 22, 1941 – March 17, 1996[1]) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1964 US Top 10 hit "Suspicion", and the 1973 country music hit "Amarillo by Morning". Stafford was also known for his Elvis Presley sound-alike voice.
Early life
Born in Hollis, Oklahoma, he moved to Amarillo with his family at age seven, graduating from Palo Duro High School in 1960, and starring in basketball and football. After a stint singing with a local rockabilly group, he moved to California to pursue a musical career.[2]
Music career
Originally cut as a demo, Stafford's version of the Elvis Presley song "Suspicion" was released on the Crusader record label and made it to no. 3 in the U.S. and no. 31 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] "Suspicion" had the distinction of being sixth on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 4, 1964, when the Beatles held the top five spots. The following week, "Suspicion" peaked at no. 3, with the Beatles holding three of the top five spots. Stafford's recording sold over 1 million copies,[1] and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[3] His follow-up "I’ll Touch a Star" rose to number 25 in United States. Both recordings were produced by Bob Summers (brother-in-law of Les Paul), who played all the instruments on the tracks as well as engineering and recording them, except for bass which was played by Ron Griffith. Summers released his own version in the 1970s, as well as a remake with Ed Greenwald on vocals in 2008.
Stafford lived most of his life between Los Angeles and Amarillo, Texas, and he died in Amarillo of liver failure at the age of 54. He is interred with his parents at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.[6]
There is a record of Nancy E. Hall marrying Terry L. Stafford on 20 May 1972 in Las Vegas, Nevada.[7]
Death
Stafford returned to Amarillo for the last time in 1995, according to Specht. He had been battling liver and kidney ailments for years, and his condition worsened for months until he was finally hospitalized.
Collins ...reference missing..., in an email to Specht, later recalled his goodbye to Stafford while he was on a respirator in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
“I said… ‘Terry, I know you can’t speak with that thing in your throat, but just wiggle your fingers to let Ol’ Dugg know that you know I came to see you.,” said Collins, who noted that Stafford wiggled his fingers.[8]
