Terry Kirkman, singer with 1960s pop group The Association, has died at the age of 83.
He passed away at his home in Montclair, California last Saturday (September 23) following a long illness.
“We’re saddened to report that Terry Kirkman passed away last night, RIP Terry,” read a message posted on The Association’s official social media channels on yesterday (Sunday 24).
“He will live on in our hearts and in the music he so brilliantly wrote. Sending hugs and lots of love to [Kirkman’s wife] Heidi and [daughter] Sasha.”
Kirkman’s widow Heidi Berinstein Kirkman confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that he died of congestive heart failure following a long illness. He is survived by his daughter Sasha, his son-in-law and two grandchildren.
The Association formed in 1965 and were famed for their ‘sunshine pop’ sound which focused on tightly woven vocal harmonies and light, melodic songwriting.
Their highest charting single in the UK was 1968’s ‘Time for Livin”, which reached Number 23. In the US, they scored Number Ones on the Billboard Charts with the Kirkman-written ‘Cherish’ in 1966 and ‘Windy’ the following year.
The band were chosen to open the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, which is often cited as the first major American rock festival. They shared the bill with artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Otis Redding and Janis Joplin.
Born in Salina, Kansas in 1939, Kirkman moved to Los Angeles in the early ’60s with his friend and future Association bandmate Jules Alexander. One of his early musical projects involved playing in a band alongside Frank Zappa, before forming the 13-piece band The Men, which eventually evolved into The Association.
Kirkman recorded seven studio albums with The Association, before leaving the band in 1972. He returned to the lineup in 1979, before finally growing tired of the touring schedule and leaving again in 1984.
The Association were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
The post Terry Kirkman of The Association dies, aged 83 appeared first on NME.
