Terry Teachout, the theatre critic and cultural columnist who contributed to The Wall Street Journal for almost 20 years, passed away January 13. He was 65.
On top of his lively reviews, Mr. Teachout was known for writing biographies of famed contributors to the arts, like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and George Balanchine. He also wrote his own memoir, City Limits: Memories of a Small-Town Boy, along with several plays and librettos.
“He could never be pigeonholed,” remembered Eric Gibson in the WSJ. “Terry was never predictable.”
Mr. Teachout was born February 6, 1956, in Sikeston, Missouri. He studied journalism and music at William Jewell College, graduating in 1979. After working as a bank teller and writing reviews for the Kansas City Star on the side in the early ‘80s, New York City blew its siren call.
Among the publications who have published his work are Harper’s, New York Daily News, and National Review. He joined WSJ in 2003 and received a Bradley Prize in 2014, awarded to people who promote American discourse.
He is survived by a brother, David Teachout.
