But Terry Kath is still in the music. But with their spaced-out grins and thousand-yard stares, most of the group, especially Kath, look like theyve been awake for days. [16] Parazaider's friend at De Paul University, trumpeter Lee Loughnane, also sat in with the band from time to time. Members of the veteran rock band Chicago remember their late guitarist Terry Kath and how the great Jimi Hendrix said Kath was "better" than him. The searing guitar virtuosity heard on early hits like 24 or 6 to 4 and Make Me Smile was enough to impress even Jimi Hendrix who, according to legend, rated Kath as a better axe-man than himself. Kath died on January 23, 1978, of an accidental gunshot wound. He stayed with Parazaider, Seraphine, and Loughnane instead,[19] who quickly recruited trombonist James Pankow from De Paul and vocalist/keyboardist Robert Lamm. Answer (1 of 8): According to James Pankow and Robert Lamm it came down to a few big issues: 1. Seraphine remembers that Kath exuded a charisma that intrigued me from the beginning. As a founding member of the jazz-rock band Chicago, Kath held down guitar duties for the group until his tragic death from an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1978. His last words were, "What do you think I'm gonna do? [6] He attended Taft High School. [3][23] According to Loughnane, Kath could sing a lead vocal and play lead and rhythm guitar simultaneously. Naturally, Loughnane, who still plays the song most nights on tour, is reluctant to bite the hand that feeds. . You know there might be a lot of money in that, but I just cant perform that emotional surgery, he says. This black and white capture features John Agar as Second Lieutenant Michael Shannon from the film "Fort Apache", circa 1948.Fort Apache is a 1948 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Henry Fonda. Back in the US, Chicago finally got their break when an edited version of Make Me Smile reached the Top Ten. Lost a lot of respect. Kath picked up a semi-automatic 9-mm pistol and, leaning back in a chair, said to Johnson, "Don't worry about it Look, the clip is not even in it." Classical stations played that track, says Loughnane. And then I took it. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Just to try and figure out what hes doing takes four or five days. "Four Marines didn't like a long-haired rock 'n' roller in a baseball park," Cetera later recalled in the liner notes to the Chicagobox set. Several were located by Kath's daughter Michelle Kath Sinclair, at the home of her step-grandmother, during her research for the documentary film Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience. The band had first encountered Jimi and The Experiences drummer Mitch Mitchell when they dropped by their gig at the Whisky A Go Go. In January 1978, at the height of his fame, he accidentally shot himself dead while fooling around at the end of drug-fueled party. The 70s albums showcase his jazz rock licks that make the songs come alive. [60], "Chicago's Terry Kath: Inside the Life and Tragic Death of an Unsung Guitar Hero", "Daughter of Music Legend Terry Kath Launches Crowdfunding Campaign For New Documentary", "Never Heard of Guitarist Terry Kath From the Band Chicago? 25 Feb/23. When Peter regained his balance and started back up the stairs, another guy from the crowd hauled off with a right hook and hit him square in the face.. In 1978, Terry Kath of the band Chicago died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. Kath, a founding member of Chicago, was master of his instrument. If You Leave Me Now was a fine pop song, but it didnt sound like Chicago and it didnt feature Terry Kath, who excused himself from the recording to ride his motorcycle. [40], Kath had a self-admitted history of drug abuse, including alcohol. As a joke, he then playfully put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He really didnt have any rules or boundaries. In Canoga Park in January 1978, a young guitar player and singer named Terry Kath died of an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound. So far, hes only done two gigs with the Bad Daddies this way, both times with backline basses. Artistic boundaries were blurring. [26] In an interview with Guitar Player, he said that he used the tenor guitar string for the top E and moved all the regular strings down (top E was used as B, B used as a G, and so forth). Required fields are marked *. Previously, he served as a Music Editor at PEOPLE and VH1.com. In 2016, Kath and the other founding Chicago members were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Sinclair was present at the festivities on behalf of her father. Their last album, Chicago XXXVI: Now, appeared in 2014. I was really good at it. The song was Chicagos first hit after Kaths death, breaking into the Billboard Top 20. [34], Kath experimented with a wide variety of amplification and distortion devices and used a wah-wah pedal frequently. They had a very cool singer who wore shades, and then the bass player and the guitar player stood on their amps on either side of the stage, he says. Almost everyone said that the last thing they ever expected was my dad to kill himself with a gun because they trusted him so much with guns., Prior to the tragedy, Kath was working on his first solo record. I grabbed my bass guitar and started this little progression on the bass, and started writing 'Where Do We Go From Here.' The guitar control plate was also reversed. After Cetera joined forces with them, they changed names, first to The Chicago Transit Authority and later to Chicago. Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Official Music Video) Watch on. [11], Terry Kath joined his first semi-professional band, The Mystics, in 1963, moving to Jimmy Rice and the Gentlemen in 1965. Walsh said, "He was a great guy; he was a brilliant musician. The song was used in the final episode of the television series Miami Vice. The films emotional peak comes when Jerry Vaccarino, Chicagos road manager at the time, describes to Sinclair the tragic incident that killed her father. He was such a monster on guitar. It was the era of Sgt Pepper, the Vietnam War and LSD. Chicago are still touring and making music. He had a sound that no other guitar player could get, marvels Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh in Searching For Terry. To have the guts to do that on a song to play a [long] solo who does that? Kath was killed instantly. I have loved Peter Cetera most of my life and I loved him with Chicago. I think he is way too classy and a terrific singer to go back to Chicago for one day. Among the re-discovered equipment was his "Pignose" Telecaster, an Ovation acoustic, a Fender Stratocaster, and a Gibson SG Custom with the pickups removed. I had to touch his body at the funeral, to realise that it was just a shell, that Terry had gone.. We want to hear it. I could only imagine what that would be, Sinclair says. Im a bass player and had the opportunity to hang out with Peter a few years ago, here on Kauai. Kath pulled an automatic pistol he usually carried and began twirling the weapon. [31], After his death, to memorialize Kath and to commemorate the resumption of Chicago, the band composed and published the song "Alive Again" on its first album without him, Hot Streets. Thank god we had so many writers in the band as we were constantly on the road, he says. Didn't like them in other artists/bands musicdidn't like them in Chicago's musicand really resented having to put horn parts in his own songsand left them out of as many . By January 1978, Chicago had split from the man who controlled everything, James Guercio, and had appointed a new manager. Performing on bass again is still a pretty new development for him. There have been further line-up changes over those years. When a friend urged him to be cautious, he removed the clip to show that it was empty. Camelia Emily Ortiz (1974-78, his death), one daughter. His fans will tho crazy!! They still do some of the old songs. Some people may think that office affairs around the water cooler have slowed since Zooming took over. Not even the main showroom we werent even thinking main showroom then!, According to Loughnane, Kath played a major role in their image change. [41] Around 5:00p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Monday, January 23, after a party at the home of roadie and band technician Don Johnson, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, Kath began to play with his guns. The guitar's neck was held together with a radiator hose clamp. [20], Kath was regarded as Chicago's bandleader[21] and best soloist;[1] his vocal, jazz and hard rock influences are regarded as integral to the band's early sound. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Chicago on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Reuniting With Peter Cetera, Aside from exploring his life in a hugely popular band, The Terry Kath Experience also delves into Kaths substance abuse and his ultimately fatal interest in guns. 47th Street and k31bassman like this. Thats when the drugs got heavier and things got weirder, says Seraphine. During the ceremony in Brooklyn, New York. His voice trails off. He was just 31 years old. Active. A terrible shame that Cetera put him in a corner. He has been praised by his bandmates and other musicians for his guitar skills and Ray Charles-influenced vocal style, and was said to be one of Jimi . Back then, Chicago albums featured wailing horns, grooving Hammond organ and head-spinning time signatures, all harnessed by Kaths howling lead guitar. And it was t-shirts, jeans and long hair from then on!. Terry Alan Kath was born January 31, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. The T.K. When an edited 25 Or 6 To 4 went Top Five in the US and the UK, though, nobody could complain. He was a half a . Did the 1978 death of Chicago lead singer Terry Kath, who accidentally killed himself playing Russian roulette while apparently under the influence of alcohol, serve to intensify Cetera`s desire . And my mom was like, No. he was found shot to death in a Los Angeles . His style was often compared to that of his peer, Jimi Hendrix, who often claimed that he was one of Terry's biggest fans. Furthermore, Kaths obsession with guns scared his bandmates. Now his bandmates recall his life and shocking death By Jordan Runtagh Published on December 30,. His part on the first couple of Chicago albums is all we have to work with, says Walsh of his late friend. They did play a few of the 80s ballads [24], The group's first album, Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969, includes Kath's composition "Introduction," described as "Terry's masterpiece" by later Chicago guitarist Dawayne Bailey. It was good for our souls.. . But for me, just my personal preference England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Other highlights from those years include writing the theme songs for Baywatch and The Karate Kid: Part II and being nominated for a Grammy for a duet with singer Amy Grant. Knowing that the politician is also a bass player, he decided to send him a token of his appreciation. Donnie looked like Peter Frampton, he had the image says Seraphine. Maybe Carlos [Santana], but you dont play the same thing twice. The Terry Kath Fan Group is a place to keep the man alive. How does he do that?, Related Cetera is also the only member of the original Chicago not to participate in the Searching For Terry film. They are my fav band of all-time!! Trombonist Jimmy Pankow recalls how even in their club days, Kath was banging his guitar off his amplifier Pete Townshend-style to make it talk. The Tragic Death of Terry Kath. Oh well- still love his music. Our initial idea was to bring it to Vegas and be a show band, Loughnane, 70, tells PEOPLE. The AZ Of Queen, Peter Grant, The Story Of Rock's Greatest Manager and Pretend You're in a War: The Who & The Sixties. [28] The same album saw Kath collaborate with orchestral arranger Peter Matz on the four-part suite "Memories of Love", singing the lead vocal. He was a songwriter and a great singer. A fatal gunshot wound. Chicago ultimately sold over 100 million records worldwide with 23 gold, 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum albums and in the 1970s they had more charting singles than any other band in the United States. Footage from the ceremony was added to Sinclairs documentary at the last minute. That happened. [3][7] He then played bass in a road band called Jimmy Ford and the Executives. I havent had the heart to take my Wilkins on the road and beat it up just yet, he confides. To commemorate his musicianship, they issued the 1997 album The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath. Recently appearing in varying corners of the intraweb, and in general circulation for those who seek it is a crystalline soundboard recording of the "Flying Burrito Brothers" live at the infamous 1969 Altamont festival. They sort of backed me into a corner, and then gave me a little doorway to get out, he says. We recently saw CHICAGO at a sold out show at Turning Stone Resort and Casino, All I can say is they havent lost a beat and I personally think they are probably better than they ever were. 1 single. Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago. We took Terry aside and said, My God, did you really just say that? But Terry could be very outspoken.. A year on, the trio had joined The Missing Links, where they met Lee Loughnane. Peter Ceteras many talents should be readily apparent to those familiar with his powerful contributions to the beloved brass-laden rock band Chicago. Blood on the walls. Joking around with a friend, Kath held what he thought. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 It makes it sound as if Kath died, and shortly after Cetera took over and said, "Okay, now we're going to do soft rock hits!" Kath then replaced the magazine in the gun, put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. Theyd taken Terrys body away, but there was blood everywhere.. [48] Kath's position as guitarist in Chicago was filled first by Donnie Dacus,[49] then by Chris Pinnick, Dawayne Bailey, and Keith Howland. Cetera is absolutely the greatest bassist ever! I couldnt believe it when I first heard him., CTA supported the albums release by opening for Hendrix and Janis Joplin in the spring of 1969. You can do it for all your fans. In his Beach Boys biography, The Eyes That Smiled, writer Paul Mendoza recalls an incident in which Beach Boy Carl Wilson was partying with Chicago and saw Terry playing Russian Roulette, panicked and knocked the gun from his hand: And Terry punched Carl in the face, knocking him down, forcing Robert Lamm and others to restrain him. He wasn't a stupid guy, but waving a gun around when you've been awake doing cocaine for a couple of days isn't very smart. A spokeiwoman for . You are a fantastic bass player. The 100 Best Albums of 2022, In addition to archival footage of Kath in performance and conversation, Sinclairs documentary includes new interviews with the original surviving members of Chicago Loughnane, Robert Lamm, Peter Cetera, Walt Parazaider, James Pankow, and Danny Seraphine along with the groups former producer/manager James William Guercio, and Kaths widow (and Sinclairs mom) Camelia. Chicago's Terry Kath: Inside the Life and Tragic Death of an Unsung Guitar Hero Admirers such as Joe Walsh remember Kath's genius, as chronicled in a moving new doc directed by the musician's daughter By David Chiu December 11, 2017 . He was incredibly unhappy and depressed, revealed Jimmy Pankow, and doing drugs on top of that compounded the situation.. His distinctive tenor vocals and memorable bass work helped the group secure its own special place in the rock and roll imagination. Ultimately, there are two Chicagos: the one with Terry Kath and the one without. Perhaps the big man with the loud whistle and the even louder guitar sound isnt going to be forgotten after all. At their Royal Albert Hall gig in London, each band member was introduced separately and received a standing ovation. Ill take the chubby, hippy Peter over this any day. The T.K. Huckabee??? Chicagos best days were with Terry Kath and to a lesser extent Hot Streets. Danny Seraphine remembers learning of Kaths death in a call on his newfangled car phone. I think a few different things happened, and it may not have been all Peter's fault. How disappointing! The entrepreneurial James Guercio was now directing a movie, Electra Glide In Blue, about an Arizona motorcycle cops run-in with local hippies. And given how well albums like Chicago 16 and 17 did, why NOT go solo, especially when he'd sang all the big hits. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 Come on Peter I called you the voice of Chicago in your stay. Kath left behind his wife, Camelia Ortiz,[45] and a 20-month-old daughter, Michelle Kath (now Michelle Kath Sinclair). Terry would have wanted us to continue. Multi-instrumentalist Donnie Dacus picked up lead guitar duties that would have fallen to Kath. Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 - January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.He played guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singles. Terrys replacement was former Crosby, Stills & Nash sideman Donnie Dacus. I think Walter Cronkite actually had said that, and I thought, 'Wow, where do we go from here?' [1] The song "Beginnings" includes acoustic rhythm guitar by Kath. But the partying never stopped. He told me what happened. When the group stopped writing their own songs that was the end of Chicago, sorry Diane Warren. Nov 28, 2010 Oklahoma City. [My father] was driving the boat and he said, Oh, weve got to turn around because the dam is up here. We turned around, and that was the memory. Meanwhile Back At The Ranch, a 1974 US TV special, showed the band and their partners at the Colorado studio. On May 20, 1969, it. Johnson warned Kath several times to be careful. He doesnt need Chicago. A journey into the mind of one of the most underrated guitarists in rock history. Terry had that gruff exterior, but he was a pussycat inside, Loughnane says, recalling their first meeting. (While cleaning his firearms at the home of Don Johnson, an employee for Chicago, Kath accidentally fired a gun into his head after showing a concerned Johnson that the clip was empty not realizing that there was a bullet remaining in the chamber.) [35] He was an early investor in the Pignose company (a manufacturer of guitar amplifiers) and served in the management of the company[36] and decorated his Telecaster with 25 Pignose stickers, a Maico motorcycles decal and a Chicago Blackhawks logo. Loved ya then, love ya now! Guercio suggested Loughnane, Kath, Parazaider and Cetera play the hippies. Love his new hairdo. His song "Tell Me" was featured in the episode "Freefall" of the series Miami Vice, and is the . There was women, booze, drugs, admits Loughnane. [27], For the group's second album, Kath contributed an extended guitar solo on "25 or 6 to 4", which became a live favorite. Its something he stopped doing around the time David Foster started playing the Moog Synthesizer on Chicagos 1980s albums. He died instantly. [33] Kath tended to favor light strings, though for the top E string, he used one from a tenor guitar. And we had to learn that you cant. His eyes were wide open, staring off blankly into the distance.. [38] Pankow, who wrote "Make Me Smile", tried rehearsing the song with various members singing lead, but ultimately settled on Kath, saying "bingo 'that' was the voice. We had the opportunity to see Chicago in concert in my little hometown of Macon, Ga in December 2021it was magical!!! That was just the coolest thing Id ever seen.. If you remove my dad from this song, you have a completely different song. At the bottom of this letter, it says: If you dont, it will cause us to consider looking elsewhere, he says. They were just amazing, I remember Daniel Playing with headphones. Chicago band member Walter Parazaider later said, "If [Kath] was totally up front, he would have gotten a lot more recognition. So, in a melancholy way, I wrote it about that, and then I wrote it about myself, and about the world, and about everything in general and that was my first writing credit.". Kaths accidental shooting was a tragic final act for a husband and father, and a musician once described by Jimi Hendrix as better than me. Kath, his lank hair flying, resembles a linebacker with an electric guitar. The hardest thing was trying to replace Terry, which was impossible. I think that couldve have been the thing that put him more on the map as a guitarist. Adds Walsh: With that [band] dynamic [in Chicago], he needed to do a solo album. Two steps forward revealed a bullet hole in the side of his head. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. I don't think there's ever been a better rhythm player. "[38] According to Parazaider, Jimi Hendrix commented to him after a set at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles that "your guitar player is better than me. Terry was the musical leader of the band, Loughnane explains. A real mans man. But Seraphine also got a strong sense that there was something darker lurking beneath the happy-go-lucky guitarists smile. Your email address will not be published. Your first thought was, Boy, I dont want him to be mad at me. He was a great guy; he was a brilliant musician. In the detailed television special, Kaths bandmates recall his extraordinary life and tragic premature death. He was a songwriter and a great singer. If Terry had been in a trio, he probably would have been right up there with Jimi Hendrix, who idolized Terry. Undeterred, Guercio changed their name to Chicago (after the actual Chicago Transit Authority threatened them with legal action) and sent them back to the studio. If he had stayed with us, I think he would have enjoyed it as much as we did, he says. Well, it sounds good and he looks really good while doing it so, there is that. The album also included Kaths dissonant, one-man mini-symphony Freeform Guitar. At the time, he wanted a pause from relentless touring and an opportunity to work on solo material. terry kath funeraliridescent telecaster pickguard. The result of her work, Searching For Terry: Discovering A Guitar Legend, was released in 2016. After the tour, however, Cetera tells FBPO he got a notice in the mail asking him to do the album and another tour. Chicago II arrived in January 1970, complete with Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon, a near 13-minute piece split into seven movements, encompassing film soundtrack-style instrumentals, and beginning with Kaths Make Me Smile. "I chose not to go and deal with the rigmarole with the Rock and Roll . By the age of 19 he was playing bass in local act Jimmy Ford And The Executives, where he met two future Chicago members: sax player Walt Parazaider and drummer Danny Seraphine. A back-and-forth between Kath and Cetera about various early '70s topics that probably reflected more of the push-pull tension between the two driving forces within the band than fans may have . Its a shame that young people never got a chance to see him live [onstage]. The attack ultimately impacted both Cetera's approach to singing and the general trajectory of Chicago. [12] Ford was the trumpeter, Walter Parazaider played saxophone and other wind instruments, and Danny Seraphine later became the drummer. I took a call from our manager, who said: Lee, are you sitting down? Loughnane says now. Terry Alan Kath was born in Chicago on January 31, 1946. After Terry Kath's death. Thanks for weighing in, Carl! community is an gathering of people who are passionate about the man and keeping his. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The Terry Kath Fan Group is a place to keep the man alive. All we have to go on are the records hes made. He was taking us in a direction that I didn't want to go said Kath. But at the peak of his career, on January 23rd, 1978, Kath died in a gun accident at the age of 31, a tragedy that effectively marked the end of Chicagos first successful era, and that still resonates with his friends and loved ones. Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. [57] The film made its television premiere on AXS TV, under the name Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience, on November 7, 2017, and it was released as VOD and DVD on December 12. Directors Michelle Kath SInclair Starring Terry Kath, Peter Cetera, James Pankow Genres Documentary These guys are good! The headlines, the think pieces, the tributes, the sharing of video. The same debut album includes an instrumental guitar piece titled "Free Form Guitar", which consisted largely of feedback and heavy use of the Stratocaster's tremolo arm. The group's members were devastated over losing Kath and strongly considered disbanding, but were persuaded by Doc Severinsen, musical director of the Tonight Show band, to continue. The Cubbies completely dominated the Dodgers that day and won 7-0. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. For Chicago trumpeter Lee Loughnane, the loss was especially hard. "[39] Kath was one of the three primary lead singers of Chicago, with a vocal range between those of the other two, Peter Cetera's higher tenor and Robert Lamm's fuller, lower baritone. I Love the horns The band talked about splitting up, then decided against it. community is an gathering of people who are passionate about the man and keeping his legacy going. De Oliveira offered him tea and the two spent all night talking. Kath's death on January 23, 1978 is a watershed in rock history, but some confusion remains about what actually happened to him. Anyone who criticizes Peters bass playing has most likely never really played a musically interment. That led to several years of orchestral performances, which rejuvenated his career. At first we were upset that Columbia were bastardising our music, admits Loughnane. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. The Huckster. He always reminded me of Robert Mitchum, says the drummer. But Terry was doing all that stuff Hendrix was doing before we heard Hendrix do it., As Kath told Guitar Player magazine in a rare interview in 1971: Jimi was playing all the stuff I had in my head. It served as the showcase for their horn section. By now, the band had come to the attention of ambitious songwriter/producer James Guercio, who had just written pop duo Chad And Jeremys US hit Distant Shores. At that time, he was taking in large amounts of drugs and alcohol to cope with the busy tour schedule and his friend's death. He would have never remotely thought about suicide. RE: Kath. It's a shame he was lost. After the untimely accidental death of guitarist Terry Kath in early 1978, Cetera was convinced that the band had no future together. Hes also happy to share that hes back on the bass. Period. The shift in style turned out to be a sound decision. It's how we process the death of famous people now. When the band started becoming successful, he traded up to a Fender Stratocaster. Who sang If You Leave Me Now? Long before their string of golden albums, the young band originally known as The Big Thing and then Chicago Transit Authority, before adopting their familiar moniker had a very different path in mind.