Terry Nelson Skinner (August 24, 1943 – November 14, 2014) was an American former disc jockey from Russellville, Alabama, United States. Together with a group of studio musicians, Nelson released a single in 1971 under the name C. Company featuring Terry Nelson. The single, entitled "Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley", was a spoken-word recording with a musical background which defended William Calley and the massacre at My Lai, for which Calley was court-martialed in 1970–71. Originally issued on a small local label, Quickit Records, it was reissued nationally on Plantation Records in April 1971. The single reached No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and No. 49 on Hot Country Songs.
This disc sold over one million copies in just four days, and received a gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America on 15 April 1971. It went on to sell nearly two million copies.
That same year, C. Company and Terry Nelson released an album, Wake Up America, also on Plantation.
Links to Peel[]
Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley
In a 13th February 1974 diary entry, republished in David Cavanagh's 2015 Good Night and Good Riddance book, Hermine wrote of her experience in seeing John Peel DJ at a church hall:
"I go and see John Peel playing his favourite terrible records in a church hall. These are things by Link Wray, Fabian, Annette Funicello ("Jo Jo the Dog Faced Boy"), Conway Twitty, Mrs. Mills' rendering of "A Hard Day's Night", Stark Naked and the Car Thieves, the Cats who do "Swan Lake", Wild Man Fischer, Bill Oddie (singing "On Ilka Moor Baht 'at" in the manner of Joe Cocker), "The Battle of Lieutenant Calley" by C Company (wrongly quoted as B Company), Mitch Miller's "Peace Singalong". Later on he complains over the radio that only eighteen people turned up."
The song mentioned by Hermine, was used for the Rebel Yell radio series in 1987, narrated by Peel.
Peel revisited Terry Nelson's C Company by playing his 'When The Great Men Sign Their Names' on his 15 October 1993 programme.
Shows Played[]
- 15 October 1993: When The Great Men Sign Their Names (album - Wake Up America) Plantation