How in the world did I miss original Grand Funk Railroad manager-producer-visionary Terry Knight, 61, being murdered back in November? I am stunned.
Today, Donald Alan Fair was found guilty of murder in the Nov. 1 in the stabbing death of Richard Terrance "Terry" Knight during a domestic dispute. Fair's defense claimed he was wacked on methamphetamine when he stabbed Knight 17 times. Fair, 27, was the boyfriend of Knight's daughter, and they all lived together in an apartment in Temple, Texas, about 60 miles north of Austin.
Although they had not talked in over 30 years, Grand Funk drummer Don Brewer told an area TV station that he was shocked" by Knights death. "Terry was very instrumental in creating and marketing Grand Funk Railroad." Brewer had been a member, along with guitarist/singer Mark Farner, of Terry Knight and the Pack, the Knight-fronted band out of Flint, Michigan that had a hit in '66 with "I (Who Have Nothing)."
After the Pack split, Knight helped put together Grand Funk Railroad with Brewer, Farner and bassist Mel Schacher in '68, and was instrumental in their rise to fame — in 1971 they sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles — until he was fired in '72.
Barry Stoller did a remarkable interview with Knight in '03.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Shark
I have a Terry Knight story; in about 1969, I had a band that was going to audition for the possibility of a signing w/Knight; we were to play at a local hipster park on a Sunday and he was there to listen.
On the way to the gig, we stopped for gas and our guitar player accidentally slammed the car door on his finger. Instead of auditioning for Knight & Co., we spent the afternoon in an emergency room.
Never heard from him after that.
[snif]
Ah, what might have been...
PS: Also have a Grand Funk story, but I could never get that drunk, and besides: who the hell cares...
2 - Eric Olsen
great story Shark, thanks! Tell the Grand Funk story - don't make me beg
3 - Shark
Beg.
No, actually, Eric, it's not the much of a "story" -- but I happened to be there at the Texas International Pop Festival on opening day in 1969; this was Grand Funk's first real gig, and despite the fact that I hated their stuff thereafter, they blew away the crowd like no one I'd ever seen before.
The lip service was so great (everybody was walking around RAVING about this great new band), that they opened the festival on the following two days. Pretty shocking, since folks like B.B.King, Canned Heat, Chicago, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends,ÊFreddie King, Janis Joplin,ÊJohnny Winter, Led Zeppelin, Sam & Dave, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone,ÊSpirit, and Ten Years After were also playing the festival. Everyone left talking about GFR.
(No juicy stuff, but quite a memorable moment for all who were there.)
4 - Eric Olsen
why were they received so well?
5 - Barry Stoller
I have been writing the authorized biography of Terry Knight. Details on the Easy Listening LP he produced for Cameo-Parkway, The TK Revue, Twiggy, all the obscure stuff. Anyone with pertinent or entertaining anecdotes about Knight is welcome to direct them to me; I will add them.
6 - Eric Olsen
that's cool Barry, let us know how it's going, share some excerpts?
7 - Mike
I remember on a the Mark, Don and Mel Greatest Hits album where Terry wrote the grandiose ode to the badn on the back comparing them to Elvis and the Beatles. I never thought they were quite THAT caliber (LOL), but they were a great influence on my early heavy R&R years. Terry was responsible for most of that and I was shocked like others when I heard of his murder just 60 miles north of my hometown.
8 - Lisa Millenbach
FYI
Terry's killer, thanks to Danielle Knight's testimony, was sentenced today, 26 May 2005, to a life term in a Texas State Prison.
Danielle and I, her mother, were there, and we both thank God for justice.
9 - Dona Kay
All I can say is that I'm in total shock, just finding out last week about Terry's death. Had been trying to make contact with him again for the past several years. I am an entertainment writer and had known known Terry since he went out as a solo artist and worked with him thru the years. What a waste of a tremendous talent. He'll certainly be misssed - at least I have my memories.
10 - Michael V.
I too, have a story. He lived around the corner from me for about four years here in Yuma, Arizona. He was a decent chap who loved to talk about GFR. One night he came over â€" to a mutual friends house â€" with a newly mastered version of the latest greatest-hits CD released in 2001 or 2002, I can't remember which. It was a boxed set and he allowed me to make a copy on my Mac! He was an extremely generous man. We got toasted on wine and listened to the CD. It was a wonderful time, swapping tales of the road . I miss morning coffees with Terry. I wish he'd never left Yuma.
11 - Eric Olsen
thanks for all the input, graet story Michael! He is clearly missed
12 - jeffery funk
hey guys i known about terry since the late sixty`s terry knight and the pack from flint with mark and don btw i have met both of the guys anyways terry was a DJ as well it`s too bad he had to die that way even that he didn`t get along with GFR back in the early 70`s terry took them for a ride and that`s why he got fired we will all miss him .
13 - Andru Reeve
Most people don't know this, but it is highly likely that Terry Knight was responsible for igniting the "Paul McCartney is Dead" rumor back in 1969, just before he put together Grand Funk. I write about this in my book TURN ME ON, DEAD MAN. Check it out if you get a chance. Besides that, I was always a big fan of The Pack. Too bad he didn't keep making music. And too bad he died before his time. Rest In Peace.
14 - Andrew Trentacosta
Terry Knight was one of the greatest dj's ever. First to play The Rolling Stones in Detroit. He once played "It's All Over Now" for an hour straight on CKLW.
15 - Barry Stoller
Actually, that's "Tell Me" from the 1st Stones LP; if you remember it, the folk-pop ditty is a template for the TK&TP sound.
The Terry Knight biography is here if you want it!
http://www.utopia2000.org
16 - Roger St. Louis
i found out about the unfortunate passing of terry knight about 5 or 6 months ago. i never met the man personally - but would've jumped at the chance if it had come along.
through the years i've read good and bad about the guy but never became biased one way or the other on account of what i read. sure, you can't say grand funk without thinking of terry knight and vice-versa.
i think he really did have a clever mind for all things business in the cut-throat music industry during his day and his contribution cannot be denied. it was a sad day when he was taken from us in such a senseless way. who knows, something big and positive might've been in store for him again but we'll never know now, will we?
i hope he's resting peacefully and i also hope the dipshit kid that snuffed out his life early is reminded daily of his cowardly, heinous act.
17 - Geo
We had a drummer who was the quintessential GFRR freak... and could crank out any GFRR song in a heartbeat, he was also a great immitator of Deep Purple Drum parts as well. Pretty impressive copyist. Still plays and still considers both drummers "da kine bra"
18 - Kim
I met Terry Knight in 1983. He was staying with a neighbor of mine. We hung out for a month or two. Those were two great months! I really miss Terry. He taught me a lot!
19 - Steve Bradshaw
Hi all,
I went to school with Terry. His last name was Knapp at the time. Played school band with him and we were the entertainment at the home coming dance for our class. He was a good man with a serious business mind. May the rock and roll gods bless him.
20 - Mark James Meli
Somebody forwarded me a story about 5 years ago about Terry leaving the Pack to work as a mid-level promo guy for Capitol records and he was the one who established the ties there. The time-line I remember (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that soon after he got the Capitol records gig, they assigned Terry to help work up the hoopla for Apple records and he was sent to England, met the Beatles etc. There was also a passage that said that Terry was hanging out with the Hollies in the UK around the time that Graham Nash announced he was leaving the group (also, 1968). The article seemed to state that Hollies' guitarist Tony Hicks briefly considered Terry to be Graham's replacement. At first I thought, how could the Hollies have heard of Terry Knight, BUT gathering information on the Hollies, their first trips to America included stops in Michigan.
21 - Don McCallum
I went to see Terry Knight and the Pack back in '66 or '67 while I was still in HS. I thought they were great. I still have a Lucky 11 45rpm (the original "compact disc") recording of "Better Man than I". I really dug the way the lead guitarist in that number used a slide on his guitar similar to the way a steel guitar player would. It produced some very nice effects. Was shocked to find out that he had come to a bad end.
22 - Antonio M.
Dear Associates,
No one man knew and corresponded better with my dear friend Terry Knight than myself. As a matter of fact, Terry made a "Pass" at my "ex" wife", Wendy Sue Remy Giampietro, in the sumer of 1967, in the back seat of a late model 1966 Cadllac owned by my then associate Harold E. Thompson og Galion, Ohio 44833.
Kight was the #1 D.J. on WCKLW Radio, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, in the early sixties. I was also a Disc Jockey on the local level and longed to someday meet Mr. Knight, possibly ask him a few personal questions, possibly get an autographed pic of him and possibly shake his hand, allof which I eventually accomplished.
Kight and I shared an equal associate, Joseph Petito, of Cleveland, Ohio, where "Grand Funk" and "The Pack" recorded all of their hits and more.
Mr. Petito founded Audio Reording Studios in 1957 and pioneered Rock recordings i the Cleveland market.
I would be delighted to hear from any and all Terry Knight fans at:
ANTONIO M. "TONY" GIAMPIETRO, Licensed Agent
P.O. BOX 1226
GALION, OH 44833
[Personal contact info deleted]
23 - Dianne Boutin
I knew Terry Knapp from age 15 to 20.....My cousins moved into his house. we had a summer crush. We wrote up until he was Jack the Bellboy on some Detroit radio station....Have some nice photograghs his daughter maybe would like to have. Was very saddened and shocked to hear of his tragic death
24 - larry patterson
I signed the group MOMS APPLE PIE with Terry Knight
in 1972 He was something else!!! I liked him.
Larry Patterson former manager MOM'S APPLE PIE
25 - wade bly
NO it was 1 hour of It's all over know That Terry played on cklw