Remembering Terry Kath

This past January 31 would have been the 62nd birthday of one of the most underrated guitarists in rock - Terry Kath from Chicago. We also just passed the 30th anniversary of his tragic death from an accidental self inflicted gun shot to the head. Terry died on January 23, 1978. He was one of the guitar playing giants. Jimi Hendrix was an admirer of his. He was a triple threat for Chicago - not only a killer guitarist, but a soulful vocalist and great songwriter. He was the soul and passion in Chicago. Unfortunately, there are many who aren’t aware of the immense talents of Terry Kath.

Terry was born in Chicago, Illinois and was one of the founding members of the Big Thing, the band that would become the Chicago Transit Authority, later to be known simply as Chicago. It all started in 1967. By early 1969, their debut album, The Chicago Transit Authority (later to get the Roman numeral I), was released. And so the great history of Chicago began, with Terry Kath and his bandmates Robert Lamm, Walter Parazaider, Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane and Peter Cetera. Terry can be heard singing lead on classic songs like “Make Me Smile”/”Now More Than Ever”, “Colour My World”, “Free”, “Dialogue Parts 1 and 2”, “Wishing You Were Here”, “Alma Mater”, “Jenny”, “Byblos”, “Brand New Love Affair Parts 1 and 2”, “Oh, Thank You Great Spirit”,”Once Or Twice”, “Hope For Love”, “Mississippi Delta City Blues”, “Takin’ It On Uptown”, “Prelude (Little One)”/”Little One” and many more.  His guitar playing, which featured his trademark wah wah pedal and his ability to switch from rhythm to lead, was one of the signatures of Chicago’s sound. His playing on “25 Or 6 To 4” is breathtaking and the solo is one of the greatest in rock history. Then there’s the playing on “South California Purples” and “Poem 58”; everything, for that matter, on that first album. Check out “Sing A Mean Tune Kid” and “I Don’t Want Your Money” from Chicago III. Later on, “Oh, Thank You Great Spirit” set Chicago VIII on fire.

At the time of Terry’s death, the Chicago XI album was riding high and “Little One”, featuring one of Terry’s great vocals, was on the singles chart. Chicago nearly broke up following Terry’s passing, but they decided the thing to do, the thing Terry would have wanted, was for the band to carry on. Carry on they have. 41 years after forming, Chicago carries on. Miss miss you, Terry. Rock on forever.