Terry Kirkman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Kirkman
Terry Kirkman in 1966.
Background information
Birth name	Terry Robert Kirkman
Born	(1939-12-12)December 12, 1939 Salina, Kansas, U.S.
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	September 23, 2023(2023-09-23) (aged 83) Montclair, California, U.S.
Genres	Folk rock, sunshine pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, woodwind
Years active	1960s–1984

Terry Kirkman (born December 12, 1939 – died September 23, 2023) was an American musician. He was a singer and songwriter. Terry was best known as a singer for the pop group called The Association. He also wrote many of their famous songs. These include "Cherish", "Everything That Touches You", and "Six Man Band". In 2003, Terry Kirkman and The Association were added to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Terry Robert Kirkman was born in Salina, Kansas. He grew up in Chino, California. When he was a child, during World War II, he learned to play brass instruments. He later studied music at Chaffey College.

The Association Band

In 1962, Terry Kirkman was a salesman visiting Hawaii. There, he met Jules Alexander, who was in the U.S. Navy. They decided to meet again after Jules finished his military service.

In 1963, Kirkman moved to Los Angeles with Alexander. They played music with Frank Zappa before Zappa started his band, the Mothers of Invention. Kirkman and Alexander then formed a folk group called the Inner Tubes. Famous musicians like Cass Elliott and David Crosby were once part of this group. The Inner Tubes grew into a larger 13-person band called The Men.

The Men band broke up in February 1965. Kirkman and five other members decided to start their own band. To find a name, they looked through a dictionary. Kirkman's fiancée suggested "the Association," and they liked it. The Association quickly became famous. Their songs “Cherish” and “Along Comes Mary” were big hits. These songs were on their first album, And Then... Along Comes the Association, released in 1966.

Terry Kirkman sang on many of The Association's songs. Some of these include "Never My Love", "Cherish", and "Everything That Touches You". He performed with the band at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. He also wrote a song called "Requiem for the Masses". This song was about the Vietnam War and had a special choir-like sound.

The Association was nominated for a Grammy Award six times. They received three nominations in 1967 and three more in 1968.

In August 1969, the seven members of The Association released a book of their poems. It was called Crank Your Spreaders.

Kirkman left The Association at the end of 1972. He rejoined the band in 1979 after they had broken up the year before. Terry left the band again in 1984 because he was tired of touring. After that, he sometimes made special guest appearances with the band. He was there when The Association was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. He also attended when the band received the Rock Justice Awards in Los Angeles on January 18, 2019.

In early 2023, Terry Kirkman and Jules Alexander gave a series of interviews. These interviews were released in parts, starting on September 1, 2023. The fourth part of these interviews came out just one day before Terry's death.

Personal Life and Death

Terry Kirkman lived in Montclair, California with his wife, Heidi. He passed away on September 23, 2023, at 83 years old. He had been sick for a long time and died from heart failure.

Awards and Nominations

As a member of The Association, Terry Kirkman was nominated for a Grammy Award six times.

9th Annual Grammy Awards (1967)

10th Annual Grammy Awards (1968)

Images for kids

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  Terry Kirkman (bottom right) with The Association in 1968.

See also

In Spanish: Terry Kirkman para niños