Grammys Backup Singer: Surprising Experiences

• Tenin Terrell was thrilled when she found out she’d be singing with Sam Smith at the 2018 Grammys.
• Speaking to Insider, Terrell said performing at Madison Square Garden was a “dazzling” experience.
• She was surprised by aspects of the experience, such as the tight security and quick sound check.

When a director friend reached out to singer Tenin Terrell to say he had a job for her, she initially had no idea what the gig was.

It was “shrouded in secrecy,” she told Insider, but then “he was like, ‘Oh, surprise, it’s the Grammys!'”

When Terrell, a singer, songwriter, and musical-theater performer, found out she would be singing in the background of Sam Smith’s performance of “Pray” at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018, she could barely believe it.

“I was so excited,” she said.

Ahead of this year’s Grammys on Sunday, February 5, Terrell shared details from her own experience, including ones that surprised her.

She had to provide a lot of documents before she even knew she was working at the Grammys

Terrell had to provide the Grammys and the producing agency with multiple personal documents, and she was asked to hand them over before her friend could disclose any details about the gig. However, the exhaustive verification process let her know it would be a high-stakes job.

“It was very thorough,” she said, “and just from that I could tell, ‘Oh, this is something big.'”

She had to provide her driver’s license, her address, and two forms of identification. “We had to bring those credentials with us on our rehearsal day and on our performance day,” she said.

Additionally, the Grammys did a background check, she said.

Many artists shared the same off-site rehearsal space

That year, the Grammys were held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but before the big show, Terrell rehearsed off-site.

“There are two rehearsals — one is off-site, one is on-site, then you have the Grammys,” she said.

Sam Smith’s background singers weren’t the only people using the off-site space. Background artists for performers with Top Dawg Entertainment’s label, such as Kendrick Lamar and H.E.R., were also there, she said.

Tenin Terrell and other performers.

Tenin Terrell

Getting into Madison Square Garden was a serious operation

“Everyone’s carded and triple checked on the way in,” she said. “[Performers] had a special entrance,” she added, and were then put into a “holding area.”

“If you’ve ever done stuff in high school where everyone’s just hanging out until it’s your turn to go on stage — no, it’s very organized,” she said. “Everyone’s in a certain area.”

Madison Square Garden prepares for the 2018 Grammys.

Tenin Terrell

Soundcheck was surprisingly efficient

Terrell was surprised by how quickly her group got through soundcheck ahead of the televised event, which was watched by 19.8 million viewers that year, according to CBS.

“The artists are soundchecked super fast. They staged us, we ran through it once, we ran through it twice, and that was it,” she said.

The background artists weren’t separated backstage

“On the day of the performance, there’s no separate dressing rooms, like ‘This is where the Sam Smith singers are, and this is where the Kesha dancers are, and this is where the Rihanna Fenty fashion models are,'” Terrell told Insider. “It’s kind of one area that’s curtained off for all the different groups.”

Sam Smith’s “Pray” singers backstage at the 2018 Grammys.

Tenin Terrell

This provided an opportunity for the backup artists to get to know each other and build camaraderie — one of the highlights of the experience for Terrell.

“You’re seeing all these artists who maybe aren’t the most notable, but they’re working artists, and they’re very talented,” she said, “It was super cool.”

Being on stage was overwhelming

Smith and background artists performing “Pray” at the 2018 Grammys.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

“When you come [on stage] it’s just dazzling, because you can see all the lights. The Garden is huge,” Terrell said.

“Being on stage in that moment is hard because you have to split the difference between performing and doing your job, and also soaking in the moment,” she said.

“There are thousands and thousands of people, and it’s awesome.”

The fire in Kendrick Lamar’s performance could be felt backstage

Kendrick Lamar at the 2018 Grammys.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

When Kendrick Lamar performed a medley that included songs from his then-recent album, “DAMN.,” Terrell and other talent could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics that were used in the background of his performance.

“We were offstage and I could feel the heat from the fire,” she said. 

There was minimal interaction between background artists and stars

“When you go off stage in the Grammys, backup goes one way, and the artist goes a whole other way. There’s no shared hallway,” Terrell said.

“Even as we rehearsed, Sam Smith wasn’t there for the rehearsal,” she said.

Despite the separation between backup artists and stars, Terrell still got to meet Smith, who “shook our hands, gave us hugs, and was very grateful and appreciative,” she said. 

“Sam Smith is truly a sweetheart” with “a loving and kind aura,” Terrell said.

Smith was a “sweetheart,” Terrell said.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Background artists have a very different experience compared to the main acts

As a background singer, “you are not able to attend the red carpet beforehand,” Terrell said. “You are backstage — you have a call time, and once you’re in, you’re in.”

“Once a stage manager calls your group, you need to be in your positions,” she continued. “So there’s no dilly-dallying, like, ‘Let me run out to the concession stand and get a bottle of water.’ You have to be on your game and in your spot.”

This one wasn’t a surprise to Terrell, who said it’s just part of the experience of a background artist.

“That’s one thing about being a backup performer — you are not the artist,” she said. “That’s just the truth of the matter. You don’t get that treatment, per se. People are kind to you, you don’t get mistreated, but you’re not the artist, you’re definitely not the celebrated one.”