Terry Riversong was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. He began playing guitar at the age of 13 and was influenced by the acoustic sounds of the 70's. From 1979 to 1982, he played in the popular local band, Nothin' Fancy . During the mid-80's, he studied music at Cabrillo College. In 1993, he began a professional solo career, playing in local venues throughout the Bay area, quickly gaining recognition for his work by the community and professionals alike. He was the opening performer for Stephen Stills of Crosby Stills & Nash in 1997 and was voted Best Local Musician by the Santa Cruz Metro entertainment newspaper.
Prior to moving to Santa Cruz in 1994 Terry Shields earned degrees in both Music and in Business from Illinois Wesleyan University on an electric and upright bass Music Scholarship. He first performed professionally at age 14, playing in pit orchestras as well as rock, country, and jazz bands throughout the Chicago area. Long before that, Terry was already a performing veteran appearing as a child actor in dozens of newspapers, magazines and TV commercials nationwide. He has always appreciated the rich musical heritage of Jazz and Blues from his 'Sweet home' Chicago, and still has his second grade report on The Beatles.