Born on February 14, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York, Terry Gross grew up in a Jewish family in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. She attended local public schools and developed an early interest in radio, influenced by her father's love of music. After graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1973 with a bachelor's degree, Gross briefly taught English as a second language to adults before entering public radio. She joined WHYY-FM in Philadelphia in 1973 as a production assistant and launched Fresh Air in 1975, transforming it into a landmark interview program known for its in-depth, unscripted conversations with authors, actors, musicians, and public figures. As the iconic host and co-executive producer of the NPR program Fresh Air, based in Philadelphia, Gross has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Peabody Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, and induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015. She has authored a memoir, 'All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Composers, and Directors' (2004), compiling highlights from her interviews. Despite health challenges, including treatment for breast cancer in 2005, she continues to host Fresh Air daily, maintaining its reputation for probing journalism. Gross is married to audio engineer Francis Devlin since 1994 and resides in the Philadelphia area.