Searching for Terry Kath: Discovering a Guitar Legend

Terry Kath was the guitarist for the band Chicago who died in strange circumstances in 1978, and now his daughter Michelle who was just 3 years old at the time, will feature in a documentary film about her quest to find out who her father really was .

Terry Kath

At least she will if the Kickstarter project to fund the film is successful in raising $40,000 by the end of October – at the time of writing nearly $18,000 had already been raised.

Terry Kath is perhaps one of the most underrated guitarists in Rock history – Jimi Hendrix once praised him as being a better guitarist than himself.

Perhaps one of the reasons he is underrated, is his playing is understated in many of Chicago’s biggest hits – he knew when to take the spotlight, but he also knew when the arrangement demanded something a little more subtle as evidenced in songs such as “If You Leave Me Now” (video below).

According to Dollena Campbell, the film’s producer, the documentary will feature never before seen footage of Terry Kath playing with Chicago in the heyday of their most innovative music, as well as home movies.



As Michelle goes in search of who her father Terry Kath actually was, there will be interviews with the band, and others who influenced his life, as well as
searching through recently discovered footage.

People who support the Kickstart project will receive memorabilia in the form of never before released photos and other items (which will be numbered) that will only be given to backers of the documentary.

And how did he die? Well it’s unclear if it was accidental or suicide. His death was witnessed by the band’s roadie Don Johnson. After a party at Don’s house on January 23, 1978, Terry was playing with an unloaded gun by putting it up to his head and pulling the trigger. Don warned him many times to be careful. Terry then picked up another pistol and showed Don that the magazine was empty. The semiautomatic 9 mm pistol actually contained a round in the chamber and Terry Kath pulled the trigger killing himself instantly.

You can support the documentary “Searching for Terry Kath: Discovering a Guitar Legend” on Kickstarter.

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