From law to sound, Adams does everything he can
Unapologetically Adams: Part 2
When Terry Adams decided to go to law school, he enrolled in Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis – only to start Admiral Law and Admiral Title the same year he graduated.
“I had a really strong background in business and understood what it took to build a business from scratch,” Adams said. “I had a business plan and knew exactly what I was going to do, though it evolved more organically than I thought it would.
“My idea was an attorney-based title company where you have the benefit of legal expertise but with the attitude that our very first job is to find a way to get the deal done,” he continued. “So we were solutions-driven, and that really helped. I think a lot of people in our community looked and said, ‘Man, that is a benefit.’”
In time, both companies became Knoxville cornerstones, combining employees’ expertise with philanthropic endeavors ranging from the American Cancer Society to the Knoxville Zoo.
Adams even made a trip to Harvard University for his work, sitting in the same class as a Supreme Court justice from South America.
“There was an assumption, I could tell, that I wasn’t as smart because of my Southern accent,” he said. “And I could eliminate that immediately if I wanted to, but I don’t, because I like when people underestimate me.”
From Senate to sound
By 2013, that mindset had guided Adams to plenty of success in the legal field.
That same year, he was approached about a run for a U.S. Senate seat.
“It became well-known amongst people in Tennessee that I was good at helping folks do stump speeches well,” he said. “I’d also been a student of political science, and I really understood elections and campaigns, and I’m a veteran owning my own business and being moderate in my politics. In terms of running, I’d never run for any office, ever.”
Adams initially debated the offer, then went all-in by traveling to all 95 counties across the state in a push for the Democratic nomination.
He lost to Gordon Ball, who fell to Lamar Alexander in the general election, but took several lessons from a campaign that featured two prominent issues: veteran suicide and the economic argument for a living wage.
“There were a lot of issues at the time that were really important to me,” Adams said. “And even if we were a big long shot, we could raise awareness on a couple of things.
“Those two were important enough to basically take a year off and deliver thousands of speeches. And I still accomplished one of the things I set out to do, which was to raise awareness and make arguments that were more academic and logical in nature, rather than appeal to people’s heartstrings.”
As Adams returned to his day-to-day in Knoxville, he worked to represent clients in multiple facets — including the entertainment industry.
“My mom had a publishing deal, and they never paid her what she was supposed to get paid,” he said. “Each deal I get to negotiate is an opportunity to vindicate what happened to my mom, and I love that part of it. I love negotiating a good deal, but I also enjoy the fulfillment that comes with giving someone the courage to walk away.”
The key part is knowing when to take that second step, and Adams noted the crossroads that arrives with each artist he has represented.
“That’s one of the hardest things,” he said. “Because almost every time, a person’s first deal is a bad deal. Now there’s more readily available alternatives than just signing a traditional publishing deal; and being able to explore those options with clients and sometimes their parents, it’s a lot of fun watching them succeed based on the advice I’ve given them and the choices they made. It’s very fulfilling.”
Building a brand
Adams’ understanding of law and streaming platforms have certainly helped the artists he represents, as there are more options available than ever before.
But those options have also helped Adams in his own independent work as a musician.
“People are streaming my stuff all over the world — Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Mexico and Canada — and years ago, for an independent, that would have been impossible,” Adams said. “You wouldn’t have even known where to send it because you wouldn’t know where your fan base was unless you toured there. I didn’t know Australia, particularly Brisbane, had this huge underground, red-dirt country music scene until they started streaming my record.”
He has also found plenty of fans in France, where Adams’ latest album, “Country Music,” was named Album of the Month.
“It found its time,” he said. “Because in 30 years, I haven’t changed anything. Years ago, nobody was giving a 50-year-old lawyer a record deal. But now, you put the music out, and if people like it, they listen to it.”
All you have to do is go to Spotify and look at the streams to tell whether or not somebody’s listening. So that part has been really cool.”
