Biography
Terry Kirkman entered the world in Salina, Kansas, before heading to California with the goal of pursuing formal musical studies. There a fortuitous encounter with guitarist Jules Alexander prompted him to turn professional. The pair assembled a 13-member ensemble that soon disintegrated amid disputes about artistic direction, yet Kirkman and Alexander retained the surviving six musicians and shaped them into the Association. A prolific composer and versatile multi-instrumentalist, Kirkman authored many of the band’s signature tracks; among them stood “Cherish,” its biggest success and a piece conceived with the Righteous Brothers in mind, along with “Enter the Young,” “Requiem for the Masses,” and “Six Man Band.” After the original lineup dissolved in the early 1970s, he took a position as a producer at HBO. When the idea of reuniting the Association for a cable special surfaced, Kirkman initiated the process that resulted in the group’s second configuration, active through the mid-1980s. The ensemble maintained performances well into the twenty-first century. In 2003 Kirkman and his bandmates received induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Terry Kirkman passed away on September 23, 2023, at the age of 83.