Terry Knight
Encyclopedia
Terry Knight born Richard Terrance Knapp, was an American
rock and roll
music producer, promoter
, singer, songwriter
and radio personality
, who enjoyed some success in radio, modest success as a singer, but phenomenal success as the original manager-producer for Grand Funk Railroad
and the producer for Bloodrock
.
. Knight's career began as a Detroit DJ
in 1963 when he replaced Dave Shafer as "Jack the Bellboy" on WJBK
, coming to Detroit from Flint, Michigan
's legendary Top 40 rocker WTAC
. The following year, he moved across the river to CKLW in Windsor, Ontario
. Arguably the first American DJ to air the Rolling Stones
, he hosted a legendary late night show from high-powered CKLW, bringing the British Invasion
to the Northern states. He was awarded the honorary title of "The Sixth Stone" for his early support of the Stones. By the end of 1964, however, Knight had left CKLW and the radio business, intending to pursue his own career in music.
Around 1965, Knight fashioned his own songwriting and performing career in Flint, Michigan
, by becoming the front man for Terry Knight and the Pack
. With this band, Knight recorded a handful of regional hits for local Lucky Eleven Records, part of the Cameo-Parkway Records
group, including his self-penned generation gap anthem "A Change On The Way," as well as scoring two national hits, a tasteful cover of the Yardbirds
' "(Mister, You're A) Better Man Than I" and his ultra-lounge reading of Ben E. King
's "I (Who Have Nothing)" (which came close to making the national top 40, peaking at #46). The band also left behind two long-playing garage classics before breaking up in 1967. (Brownsville Station
honored Knight and the Pack with a cover of the Knight-penned "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" on their '73 album Yeah!)
label, with limited success. He produced and wrote a handful of tracks by other artists, including garage band Question Mark & the Mysterians and the easy-listening International Pop Orchestra. He also scored music for the 20th Century Fox
noir classic The Incident. Knight traveled to London in 1968, hoping to become a recording artist and or producer for The Beatles
' newly formed Apple Records
. Knight met Paul McCartney and was present at Beatles recording sessions for the White Album
including a session where Ringo Starr
temporarily quit the group. Knight was surprised to find the group members arguing with each other. Knight soon left London after he was unable to negotiate a contract with acceptable terms.
which also allowed him to release his own songs as a solo artist. He wrote and recorded a single, "Saint Paul" which contributed to the "Paul is dead
" hoax that erupted later in the year. The cryptic lyrics of the song are generally thought to allude to Knight's failed relationship with McCartney and his apparent belief that The Beatles would soon break up. The lyrics do not refer to death but were interpreted by some fans as containing clues. The ending repeats the phrase "hey Paul" in an arrangement that sounds very similar to The Beatles' song Hey Jude
. There are also 2 different stereo mixes of the song in circulation. The longer 5 minute version also contains a high pitched voice singing lines from other Beatles songs, including, "Hello, Goodbye", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "She Loves You." Initial copies of the single listed Terry Knight's company, Storybook Music, as the publisher of "Saint Paul." After Capitol received a cease and desist
letter from The Beatles' music publisher Maclen Music (the U.S. division of Northern Songs
) the record was pulled from distribution.
A deal was apparently worked out between Knight and Maclen Music. About a month later in May 1969 "Saint Paul" was re-issued with a publishing credit by Maclen. The second pressing of the record also contains a note on the label which states that "Hey Jude" is used by permission. The shorter 4 minute mix of the song does not contain the additional sung Beatles song excerpts. The re-assignment of publishing rights made Knights' song the only non Lennon/McCartney tune owned by Maclen. "Saint Paul" reached the top 40 in a few cities in the upper Midwest region but failed to make the national Billboard Hot 100
chart. The fact that "Saint Paul" was re-published by Maclen was incorrectly seen by some Beatle fans as evidence of a conspiracy involving Knight and The Beatles and the "Paul is dead" rumors.
"Saint Paul" was later re-recorded in 1969 by New Zealand
singer Shane in a sound-alike version and became one of the best-selling singles of the 1960s in his native country. In the early 1990s author Andru Reeve repeatedly tried to interview Knight while writing a book about the "Paul is dead" hoax. However Reeve was unable to get Knight to talk about the song.
. The group quickly added former Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher and changed their name to "Grand Funk Railroad." While becoming their manager-producer, Knight helped steer the trio to international fame, beginning with his getting them onto the bill---for free---at the 1969 Atlanta Pop Festival. This live performance convinced Capitol to sign the trio. For the next two years, Grand Funk Railroad became the most popular rock attraction in the United States despite mixed critical reviews that Knight cannily exploited as part of their appeal; he also discovered and produced the Fort Worth, Texas group Bloodrock
, who hit the Top 40 in early 1971 with the unlikely death anthem "D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival)
."
Between Grand Funk and Bloodrock, Knight racked up an unprecedented eight gold albums while simultaneously waging a war of words with Rolling Stone
over the magazine's frequent pannings of the two acts. But by early 1972, both Grand Funk and Bloodrock had severed their professional relations with Knight. In Grand Funk's case, it involved court actions that kept the band tied up for almost two full years; they'd demanded full royalty accounting and accused Knight of double-dipping as manager-producer while the trio hadn't been getting all the monies they'd earned. For his part, Knight would claim the band had had only three months left on their contract with him when they first took him to court and could have been free with half the legal aggravation; the trio ultimately won their separation from Knight but at heavy cost, before adding keyboard player Craig Frost and continuing a successful recording and touring career through 1976.
, John Hambrick, Wild Cherry
and Faith. None of them found commercial success and, in late 1973, Knight retired permanently from show business. He associated with super model Twiggy
and raced cars with film star Paul Newman
in the mid-70s before becoming addicted to cocaine, which consumed him. By the 1980s' he had straightened himself out, settling in Yuma AZ with his wife and daughter Danielle. He melded into the community working in advertising sales for a weekly newspaper. He had several women that he dated in the early 1980's.
Lived with his brother for a time and also spent time near Davison , Michigan teaching songwriters how to get there game on. He was inspirational to everyone who knew him, whether they liked him or not. It was his Cocaine habit that kept him from going back to the top in the music business. He was a brilliant artist.
. On November 26, 2005, his killer, Donald A. Fair, was sentenced to life in prison. Knight was cremated and buried in a family plot in Lapeer, Michigan
. He is survived by his daughter Danielle.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music producer, promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, who enjoyed some success in radio, modest success as a singer, but phenomenal success as the original manager-producer for Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
and the producer for Bloodrock
Bloodrock
Bloodrock was an American hard rock band, based in Fort Worth, Texas, that had considerable success in the 1970s, and was one of the earliest of a number of significant bands to emerge from the Fort Worth club and music scene during the early to mid 1970s and on into the new century.-Early...
.
Early career
Knight was born on April 9, 1943 in Lapeer, MichiganLapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
. Knight's career began as a Detroit DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in 1963 when he replaced Dave Shafer as "Jack the Bellboy" on WJBK
WLQV
WLQV is a radio station serving the Detroit, Michigan market. The station's fifty-thousand watt daytime signal enables it to be heard from Michigan's Thumb area down to Northwest Ohio, and from Lansing, Michigan to Chatham, Ontario, Canada. WLQV has a Christian talk format.-WJBK:WLQV first signed...
, coming to Detroit from Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
's legendary Top 40 rocker WTAC
WTAC
WTAC, owned by Superior Communications, began broadcasting in 2002 on 89.7 with 1kW. Officially licensed to Burton, Michigan, the station's transmitter was located in the Beecher area on the north side of Flint, Michigan until September 2011 when it moved south of Fenton, Michigan and increased its...
. The following year, he moved across the river to CKLW in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. Arguably the first American DJ to air the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, he hosted a legendary late night show from high-powered CKLW, bringing the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
to the Northern states. He was awarded the honorary title of "The Sixth Stone" for his early support of the Stones. By the end of 1964, however, Knight had left CKLW and the radio business, intending to pursue his own career in music.
Around 1965, Knight fashioned his own songwriting and performing career in Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, by becoming the front man for Terry Knight and the Pack
Terry Knight and the Pack
Terry Knight and the Pack was, between 1965 and 1967, an American rock band from Flint, Michigan. The band was signed to the Lucky Eleven label throughout its short recording career.-Career:...
. With this band, Knight recorded a handful of regional hits for local Lucky Eleven Records, part of the Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 to 1967...
group, including his self-penned generation gap anthem "A Change On The Way," as well as scoring two national hits, a tasteful cover of the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
' "(Mister, You're A) Better Man Than I" and his ultra-lounge reading of Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's "I (Who Have Nothing)" (which came close to making the national top 40, peaking at #46). The band also left behind two long-playing garage classics before breaking up in 1967. (Brownsville Station
Brownsville Station (band)
Brownsville Station was a rock band from Michigan that was popular in the 1970s. Original members included Cub Koda , Mike Lutz , T.J. Cronley , and Tony Driggins...
honored Knight and the Pack with a cover of the Knight-penned "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" on their '73 album Yeah!)
Producer and solo career
In 1967 Knight moved to New York, and attempted a solo career as a singer and staff producer with the Cameo-ParkwayCameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 to 1967...
label, with limited success. He produced and wrote a handful of tracks by other artists, including garage band Question Mark & the Mysterians and the easy-listening International Pop Orchestra. He also scored music for the 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
noir classic The Incident. Knight traveled to London in 1968, hoping to become a recording artist and or producer for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' newly formed Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
. Knight met Paul McCartney and was present at Beatles recording sessions for the White Album
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
including a session where Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
temporarily quit the group. Knight was surprised to find the group members arguing with each other. Knight soon left London after he was unable to negotiate a contract with acceptable terms.
"Saint Paul"
In early 1969 Knight secured a producer's contract with Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
which also allowed him to release his own songs as a solo artist. He wrote and recorded a single, "Saint Paul" which contributed to the "Paul is dead
Paul Is Dead
"Paul is dead" is an urban legend suggesting that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike....
" hoax that erupted later in the year. The cryptic lyrics of the song are generally thought to allude to Knight's failed relationship with McCartney and his apparent belief that The Beatles would soon break up. The lyrics do not refer to death but were interpreted by some fans as containing clues. The ending repeats the phrase "hey Paul" in an arrangement that sounds very similar to The Beatles' song Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
. There are also 2 different stereo mixes of the song in circulation. The longer 5 minute version also contains a high pitched voice singing lines from other Beatles songs, including, "Hello, Goodbye", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "She Loves You." Initial copies of the single listed Terry Knight's company, Storybook Music, as the publisher of "Saint Paul." After Capitol received a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
letter from The Beatles' music publisher Maclen Music (the U.S. division of Northern Songs
Northern Songs
Northern Songs was a company founded in 1963, by music publisher Dick James, Brian Epstein, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, to publish songs written by Lennon and McCartney , as well as songs written by George Harrison and Ringo Starr, who were all members of The Beatles...
) the record was pulled from distribution.
A deal was apparently worked out between Knight and Maclen Music. About a month later in May 1969 "Saint Paul" was re-issued with a publishing credit by Maclen. The second pressing of the record also contains a note on the label which states that "Hey Jude" is used by permission. The shorter 4 minute mix of the song does not contain the additional sung Beatles song excerpts. The re-assignment of publishing rights made Knights' song the only non Lennon/McCartney tune owned by Maclen. "Saint Paul" reached the top 40 in a few cities in the upper Midwest region but failed to make the national Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. The fact that "Saint Paul" was re-published by Maclen was incorrectly seen by some Beatle fans as evidence of a conspiracy involving Knight and The Beatles and the "Paul is dead" rumors.
"Saint Paul" was later re-recorded in 1969 by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
singer Shane in a sound-alike version and became one of the best-selling singles of the 1960s in his native country. In the early 1990s author Andru Reeve repeatedly tried to interview Knight while writing a book about the "Paul is dead" hoax. However Reeve was unable to get Knight to talk about the song.
Grand Funk Railroad
Still working as a producer with Capitol, Knight renewed his connection with two former Pack members, guitarist Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer. Knight encouraged the two to add a new bass player and become a "power trio" along the lines of CreamCream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. The group quickly added former Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher and changed their name to "Grand Funk Railroad." While becoming their manager-producer, Knight helped steer the trio to international fame, beginning with his getting them onto the bill---for free---at the 1969 Atlanta Pop Festival. This live performance convinced Capitol to sign the trio. For the next two years, Grand Funk Railroad became the most popular rock attraction in the United States despite mixed critical reviews that Knight cannily exploited as part of their appeal; he also discovered and produced the Fort Worth, Texas group Bloodrock
Bloodrock
Bloodrock was an American hard rock band, based in Fort Worth, Texas, that had considerable success in the 1970s, and was one of the earliest of a number of significant bands to emerge from the Fort Worth club and music scene during the early to mid 1970s and on into the new century.-Early...
, who hit the Top 40 in early 1971 with the unlikely death anthem "D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival)
Children's Heritage/D.O.A.
"Children's Heritage/D.O.A." is a 7" vinyl single by Texas hard rock band Bloodrock released under Capitol Records in early 1971. The version of "D.O.A." featured on the single is roughly half the length of the album version found on Bloodrock 2. The motivation for writing this song was explained...
."
Between Grand Funk and Bloodrock, Knight racked up an unprecedented eight gold albums while simultaneously waging a war of words with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
over the magazine's frequent pannings of the two acts. But by early 1972, both Grand Funk and Bloodrock had severed their professional relations with Knight. In Grand Funk's case, it involved court actions that kept the band tied up for almost two full years; they'd demanded full royalty accounting and accused Knight of double-dipping as manager-producer while the trio hadn't been getting all the monies they'd earned. For his part, Knight would claim the band had had only three months left on their contract with him when they first took him to court and could have been free with half the legal aggravation; the trio ultimately won their separation from Knight but at heavy cost, before adding keyboard player Craig Frost and continuing a successful recording and touring career through 1976.
Life After Grand Funk
Knight was also dropped from Capitol soon after the Grand Funk court actions were resolved and began his own label, Brown Bag Records, releasing albums and singles by Mom's Apple PieMom's Apple Pie
Mom's Apple Pie was an American ten-member rock band from Warren, Ohio. They were best known for their album cover, and also for the voice of the lead singer Bob Fiorino.-Career:...
, John Hambrick, Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry (band)
Wild Cherry was a funk/rock band best known for their funk song "Play That Funky Music".-History:Rob Parissi was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of...
and Faith. None of them found commercial success and, in late 1973, Knight retired permanently from show business. He associated with super model Twiggy
Twiggy
Lesley Lawson née Hornby known as Twiggy is an English model, actress, and singer. In the early-1960s she became a prominent British teenage model of swinging sixties London with others such as Penelope Tree....
and raced cars with film star Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
in the mid-70s before becoming addicted to cocaine, which consumed him. By the 1980s' he had straightened himself out, settling in Yuma AZ with his wife and daughter Danielle. He melded into the community working in advertising sales for a weekly newspaper. He had several women that he dated in the early 1980's.
Lived with his brother for a time and also spent time near Davison , Michigan teaching songwriters how to get there game on. He was inspirational to everyone who knew him, whether they liked him or not. It was his Cocaine habit that kept him from going back to the top in the music business. He was a brilliant artist.
Death
On November 1, 2004 Terry Knight was murdered at the age of 61. Knight was stabbed multiple times in a fight with his daughter's boyfriend — against whom Knight was trying to protect — in their shared apartment in Temple, TexasTemple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
. On November 26, 2005, his killer, Donald A. Fair, was sentenced to life in prison. Knight was cremated and buried in a family plot in Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
. He is survived by his daughter Danielle.
External links
- Terry Knight - R.I.P. by David K. Tedds for CreemCreemCreem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
Online. - Terry Knight's Killer Convicted.