Chicago house music legend Terry Hunter hopes third time is the charm at Grammy awards
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago native and house music legend Terry Hunter is hoping the third time is the charm Sunday night at the Grammy Awards.
The three-time nominee has been gearing up for another run at a Grammy, as he vies for Best Remixed Recording for his remix of "Workin' Hard" by Mariah Carey.
In the world of house music, Terry Hunter is a household name.
"House is a feeling, right? And it sounds very cliché, but it's true. You can't really explain it. If you know, you know," he said.
Even if you find yourself not totally in the know of this Chicago-born genre, you will absolutely know who Hunter has worked with – remixing songs for Michael Jackson and Chaka Khan, producing songs for Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Hudson, who he earned his first Grammy nomination with for Song of the Year in 2015.
"I call it a Fat Joe moment, and what I mean by that is, 'Yesterday's price isn't today's price.' So it definitely builds the brand, it definitely takes you a step further, and you put a lot more eyes on you," he said.
Hunter said the words "Grammy-nominated" carry weight, giving artists exposure and notoriety with audiences and in business. Now in his 50s, Hunter is relishing in an unexpected career zenith.
"Never in a million years would I imagine a run at this particular point in my career," he said.
It's his second straight Grammy nomination. Last year, he was up for Best Remix Recording of Beyonce's "Break My Soul." This year, another remix for another icon.
"When I heard it, I was like, 'Oh.' So I said, 'Alright let me vibe out,' and I took the music away, and then you have this incredible voice – Mariah Carey, right? It's timeless," He said.
The track, "Workin' Hard," was recorded in the 90s, but never released until Hunter remixed it and Mariah Carey put out both for comparison.
Does he think the third time is the charm for him at the Grammys?
"Yo, that's what they say, and I hope it's true," he said. "If I come home with the hardware, I am so appreciative. I will be so happy, but to me, I've won."
Don't get him wrong. Hunter wants the hardware, but getting to live his dream is the bigger win.\
"As a young kid getting into it, I knew I wanted to be a DJ the very first moment I heard Frankie Knuckles play. It was no question. I ran back home, I told my grandparents I know what I want and I was able to stick with it. I've had one job in my life and that was it," he said.
But not entirely. While Hunter's job title hasn't changed, just about everything else has.
"Things change. Technology changes. Sound changes. The appreciation of music changes," he said.
Not to mention the business of music. It all had Hunter wanting to throw in the towel more than once.
"Listen, I'm done. I'm out. I can't do this no more. Something just kept telling me, and I believed it was God. This is what you were born to do. Keep going. Keep going. And that's why I'm here," he said.
He's now been nominated for a Grammy for the third time, another chance to go from Grammy-nominated to Grammy-winning artist Terry Hunter. Either way, he's already won.
"The only thing that's missing right now is for us to just bring that trophy home. That's the only thing. But musically, we got it," he said.
So, what's next for Hunter? He said he'd love to complete an album from start to finish, and is currently working on remixing and reproducing some original and unreleased material from South Side native Charles Stepney – a producer and artist who's worked with Earth, Wind and Fire and other iconic artists from the 60's and 70's.
