The true story behind the tragic death of Chicago’s Terry Kath
One name that always seems to appear missing when it comes down to the many “best guitarist in the universe” articles is Terry Kath. Kath was the guitarist and singer in the iconic American rock band Chicago, and he drew praises from several highly-acclaimed musicians, including Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix.
Despite that acclaim, Kath’s name rarely appears in conversations about rock’s most influential guitarists. Part of that may be due to Chicago’s unique identity as a horn-driven ensemble, where his playing often served the broader arrangement rather than dominating the spotlight.
In fact, Kath was so good that Hendrix professed him to be one of his favourite guitarists and believed that he was actually the better overall guitar player. High praise indeed. Chicago formed in 1967, with Kath being one of the founding members. With Kath in the band, Chicago recorded and released nine studio albums until 1978.
From the beginning, Kath’s guitar style helped define the band’s early sound. Blending jazz-influenced phrasing with the power and distortion of late-1960s rock, he brought a raw edge that balanced the group’s sophisticated brass arrangements.
For it was in that year, in the late 1970s, that tragedy struck the band. Like many rock musicians of the time, Kath had a penchant for drug and alcohol abuse. He once told bandmate Danny Seraphine that he wanted to get his drug use under control; otherwise, he feared that it would eventually claim his life.
There was also the sense within Chicago and across Kath’s friend circle that he was depressed and potentially suicidal. On the evening of January 22nd, 1978, Kath visited Chicago percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, and the two spent the night drinking tea and discussing future musical projects.
The following day Kath died by his own hand when he visited Don Johnson, one of Chicago’s roadies, at his home in Los Angeles. Kath had been known to enjoy target shooting and frequently carried guns on his person. At Johnson’s, the guitarist began to play with his .38 revolver, spinning it around on his finger, then suddenly pointing at his head and pulling the trigger.
Naturally, Johnson got nervous and asked Kath to stop. However, Kath insisted that his guns were empty and that the clips weren’t even in. He picked up his 9mm pistol and spoke his last words, “What do you think I’m going to do? Blow my brains out?” To reassure Johnson, Kath showed him the empty clip, reinserted it into the weapon, put it to his temple and pulled the trigger.
Tragically, perhaps unbeknownst to Kath, the gun was loaded, and he died instantly from the gunshot at the age of 31. Several of Kath’s friends and bandmates have insisted that the incident was indeed an accident despite their prior worries over his mental health. However, Danny Seraphine also noted that Kath’s preferred combination of drugs and guns was always likely to end up in tragedy.
He said, “Terry could handle more drugs than any human being I have ever met. Way more than the normal bear. But it was killing him. He collected guns and started taking them everywhere. And guns and drugs are a bad combination.” Regardless of what it was that prompted Kath to pull the trigger – whether he was merely toying with Johnson or whether he indeed had suicidal tendencies – he is remembered as one of the finest musicians of the 20th Century.
Chicago trumpeter, Lee Loughnane, remembered Kath’s legacy and said, “Unfortunately, his guitar playing has been overlooked, and probably because of being in such a large band, particularly a brass-oriented band. If Terry had been in a trio, he probably would have been right up there with Jimi Hendrix, who idolized Terry. He has still been with us in spirit all these years.”
