Terry Alan Kath
(January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978)
was an
American guitarist
and singer
who is best known
as a
founding member
of the rock band
He played
lead guitar
and sang
lead vocals
on many
of the band's
early hit singles
alongside
Robert Lamm
and
Peter Cetera.
He has been praised
by his bandmates
and other musicians
for his guitar skills
and his
Ray Charles
influenced vocal style.
Jimi Hendrix
cited
Terry Kath
as one of his
favorite guitarists,
and considered
Kath to be
"the best guitarist in the universe."
Growing up in
a musical family,
Kath took up a
variety of instruments
in his teens,
including the
drums and banjo.
He played bass
in a number of
local bands
throughout the mid-1960s,
gaining experience
in various
musical styles
and group settings.
As his musical
direction evolved,
he eventually transitioned
to the guitar,
which became
his primary instrument
by the time he
co-founded the band
that would later
be known as
Chicago.
His dynamic
and expressive
guitar playing,
which blended
elements of rock,
jazz,
and blues,
quickly became
a central component
of the group’s sound.
From the band’s
earliest recordings,
his contributions
helped define
their musical identity
and set them apart
from other
rock acts
of the era.
He used a number
of different guitars,
but eventually became
identified with a
Fender Telecaster
fitted with a
single neck-position
humbucker pickup
combined with a
bridge position
angled
single-coil pickup
and decorated with
numerous stickers.
Kath was regarded as
Chicago's bandleader
and best soloist;
his vocal, jazz
and
hard rock influences
are regarded as
integral to the band's
early sound.
He has been praised
for his guitar skills
and described
by rock author
Corbin Reiff
as
"one of the most criminally
underrated guitarists
to have ever set
finger to fretboard"
Kath struggled with
health issues
and
substance abuse
in the late 1970s.
In January 1978,
he died from
an unintentional
self-inflicted
gunshot wound
to the head.
His death
led the members of
Chicago
to consider disbanding;
however,
they ultimately
chose to continue.
Their decision to
move forward
was reflected
in the memorial song
"Alive Again."
To commemorate
his musicianship,
they issued the
1997 album
The Innovative Guitar of
Terry Kath.
In 2016,
Kath's daughter
Michelle Sinclair
released the documentary
The Terry Kath Experience,
which chronicles
his life
and Chicago's
early years.
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