Terry Kirkman, founding member of the Association, dies at 83
'Greatest Hits,' Toto
Toto's fourth album was positioned as make-or-break record for the band and 1982's Toto IV did indeed make the band. Deliberately constructed as an immaculately produced mainstream pop record, Toto IV turned into the blockbuster it was designed to be, peaking at four on the Billboard charts, earning three platinum certifications (two arriving within its chart run, the latter coming in 1991), and winning a whopping five Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. The song-based awards were awarded to "Rosanna," the album's first single, which went to number two on Billboard, but the record's second single, "Africa," was a bigger hit, reaching number one in early 1983.
Africa
Never My Love
Terry Kirkman, singer, songwriter and founding member of the 1960s folk-rock band the Association, has died. He was 83.
The musician died Saturday at his home in Montclair, his wife Heidi Berinstein Kirkman confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. He died of congestive heart failure following a long illness.
Kirkman formed the Association alongside guitarist Jules Gary Alexander and others in Los Angeles in 1965. The group comprised a large ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists who blended a variety of sounds — from pop and rock to folk and psychedelic — in perfect harmony.