Feature Photo: Columbia Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Terry Kath was only 31 years old when he died of a gunshot wound to his head. It was an accidental shooting that occurred at the house of one of Chicago’s crew members. The band Chicago had thought about disbanding when Terry Kath passed away but eventually decided to continue.
Terry Kath has left behind a legacy of brilliant guitar playing with the band Chicago. In the late 1960s, the band Chicago did some shows with Jimi Hendrix. The legendary guitarist was blown away by Terry Kath’s guitar playing. When first hearing Terry Kath play, Jimi Hendrix was quoted as saying that he thought Terry Kath played guitar better than he did. It was later reported that Jimi Hendrix called Terry Kath the “Best Guitarist in the Universe.”
Fans and critics should take note of Jimi Hendrix’s comments about Terry Kath. We are talking about a legend in, Hendrix who has been regarded by many as the greatest guitar player of all time, pointing to Chicago’s Terry Kath as being a better player. Was Jimi Hendrix right, or was he just inspired by great musicianship? One close listen to Terry Kath’s guitar solo on Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” confirms that Hendrix was spot on. If you need further proof that Jimi Hendrix praised Terry Kath, listen to his guitar work on “Liberation.” The song is the closing track on The Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago’s debut album.
Terry Kath’s virtuoso guitar playing was never celebrated as it should have been because Terry Kath was a team player. Many of the band members in Chicago stated that Kath was more interested in delivering great albums with his band Chicago. Anyone who has grown up listening to the first five Chicago albums knows that Terry Kath delivered on his goal.
When rock critics write about the great guitarists of the classic rock era, the names Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Duane Allman are always mentioned at the top. Terry Kath rarely gets a mention. That’s a shame because his solos were among some of the greatest in rock and roll history, both in the studio and on the stage. Just listen and judge for yourself.
Terry Kath, born on January 31, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois, began his musical journey in 1963 with his first semi-professional band, The Mystics. He moved on to Jimmy Rice and the Gentlemen in 1965, followed by playing bass for Jimmy Ford and the Executives. Kath became the band’s leader, guiding its musical direction, while trumpeter Jimmy Ford, saxophonist Walter Parazaider, and drummer Danny Seraphine completed the lineup. However, after being dismissed from the group due to a merger with another band, Kath joined the Missing Links in 1966, recruiting Parazaider and Seraphine.
The Missing Links performed regularly in Chicago clubs and ballrooms, occasionally joined by trumpeter Lee Loughnane. When Kath’s associate James William Guercio offered him a position in the Illinois Speed Press, Kath declined, preferring guitar and lead vocals. Instead, he formed a new group with Parazaider, Seraphine, and Loughnane, soon recruiting trombonist James Pankow and keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm. Their band, initially called The Big Thing, gained singer and bassist Peter Cetera and moved to Los Angeles, signing with Columbia Records under the name Chicago Transit Authority.
Before his passing, Terry Kath appeared on the following Chicago albums: The Chicago Transit Authority (1969), Chicago (1970), Chicago III (1971), and Chicago at Carnegie Hall (1971). He also contributed to Chicago V (1972), Chicago VI (1973), Chicago VII (1974), Chicago VIII (1975), Chicago X (1976), and Chicago XI (1977). Posthumously, his work was featured on Chicago Presents the Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath (1997) and Chicago XXXIV: Live in ’75 (2011).
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Check out this great album that was released a few years ago showcasing the talent of Terry Kath and his great guitar playing.
Why Jimi Hendrix Called Chicago’s Terry Kath The Best Guitarist In The Universe article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024
Terry Kath was quoted in brainy quotes as saying that jimi freaked him out and nobody can do what jimi could do with a guitar…check more about this in brainy quotes.
Terry Kath was correct about Jimi Hendrix
But Hendrix has said the same thing about many guitarists. Hendrix was just a very humble, modest and kind person. He loved all Guitarist and wanted to make them all feel so great. Hendrix would never ever brag of his self and made all guitarists feel important. But Hendrix was a Supreme Guitar Master or shall we say Guitar God.
I’ve always loved that about Hendrix. His humility.
Oddly enough, Chicago was NOT known for playing heavy or metal – yet “Free Form Guitar” was one of the very first Metal cuts by ANYONE, and “South California Purples” also had a strong “metal” aspect to it.
Kath died WAY too soon.
All 3 of those comments just opened my eyes to what Real Character really means! And was well said! ThanX!
I think Kath showed brilliantly in 25 or 6 to 4 he was one of the greatest ever. It’s easy to see why artists like Jimmy though he was spectacular. It was more than kind words. That solo alone was mind blowing. The speed of his finger work. Jimmy had his own amazement. Using his teeth etc. Much more. But Terry was a genius and impressed me more than Clapton, Vaughn, or Eddie. Opinions vary. But mine is he was the top 3 all time. Hell Glenn Campbell was fantastic and played like 6 instruments. Who knows where Terry would be regarded today had he lived on. Sadly we’ll never know. But that solo, wow. I have to watch again. Amazing.
yes, that solo was magnificent. And while live on stage too! I love great guitar and while I would never get into this “”so and so” is best nonsense (all our views are totally subjective and even then they change from time to time), I place Terry as one guitarist I like to just relish listening to.
I do the same with David Gilmour – totally different types and styles of playing. Viva la difference
Hendrix did indeed say that, to one of Kath’s fellow Chicago musicians…But Jimi also said, in interviews, that he could not really say who was better…Segovia, or Albert King…..He said that comparing is where we run into trouble…and when Dick Cavett said to Jimi…”You are often called the best guitarist of all”, Jimi just smiled shyly, and said “let’s just say that I am the best guitarist sitting in this chair right now!”…He really was humble.
It’s crazy how I’ve heard this song since I was a kid. My mother would play Chicago songs way back in the early 70’s and today is the first time I listened to this song to check out the guitar solo…smdh! This is one of the best guitar solos I have ever heard. Thanks!!!!
If you check out the same song on video , live at Tanglewood 1970 your see for yourself Absolutely mind blowing guitar playing, incredible!.Also check out Liberation track on 1st Album not best song they done more of a loose jam in studio but for guitar playing Kath shows off his inventive , brilliant playing skills.
FORTUNATELY, I saw Terry play here in KC Mo. twice, in the early & mid ’70’s, man, he was HIGH ENERGY. Unfortunately, I never got to see Jimi, who for my money was and still is head & shoulders above all his peers. Who else in music give thought to and spoke about when the day could come that sound waves (amplified music) might be used to cure cancer – he was SO DEEP – man – what we lost — we have no idea, not a clue – ugh! Like Richie Blackmore said “Jimi was brilliant WITHOUT a guitar in his hands”. Of course “the best” is only an opinion, my opinion – – -so – – – – – What this forum is saying he said about Terry is very true. He also said that you had to “SEE HIM LIVE” to really get his full effect. I was lucky on that account with Terry. Boy, could we ever use those two today huh? Thank you all
Thank you Dannie for the great comment and story
I am 74 years old and have been playing guitar since age 12. I consider myself a “keen ear” when it comes to music and guitarists in particular. I have been fortunate enough in my years to have seen most all of the great players, including Jimi Hendrix and Terry Kath. I can tell you that Terry Kath was the better guitarist by far! His licks and solos were so clean and exacting. His live playing actually outdid his studio recordings. I cannot say the same about Jimi Hendrix, and I did love him and his inovations, but live, he was more often sloppy than not. He simply could not do live what was heard in the studio. Terry Kath is sorely overlooked by so many. And their “go along” opinions mean very little to me! Terry Kath outshone Jimi Hendrix by a country mile!
I happen to agree. Terry created patterns that established band grooves. Most players use the band as a foundation for their solos. Terry created foundations for the band during his solos utilizing his rhythmic genius.
What people often forget about Kath was the fact that during many of his tear your head off solos is that on many of them he was singing at the same time!
The man was incredible….. I think we can all agree on that.
Since you tube there are more fantastic guitarists nobody’s ever heard of. For we who call ourselves musicians it’s a humbling experience.
Plus Terry played lead and rhythm guitar at the same time. He had to because the original line-up only had one guitar player: him!
Brian, thanks from the bottom of my soul for putting yourself out there mentioning Terry. I’ll be 66 on the 24th of this month and I first time i saw Chicago it was with the Beach boys in 1975 at the old Chicago Stadium(they called it the Mad house on Madison). I borrowed my 81 year old grandmom’s big ass, 4 door, Dodge Polara sedan that fit bout 12 people in it! She told me to be careful because it was about 18 months old and she hadn’t drivin it an about a year. The nice dealer man said I had to use 94 octane gas in it. Grandma said she really wanted the pretty bright yellow dodge car she saw on TV but they were all out so she got that really big green one behind the garage. The car she really wanted was the Dodge Super Bee rag top with the hemi in it, what she got was a big ass 4 door sedan with a 440 magnum/4 barrel dual accelator pump