Lead singer of old Chicago really kill himself by Russian Roulette?

I heard that rumor....but did Kath really go out that way

Cetera sang some during the early years but Kath was the singer most of the time during the early years. He died in the late '70's.

I believe that he did shoot himself with a pistol.
It was at a party and was a traggic stupid accident, not russian roulette.
Chicago had such an edge, politically as well as musically; masters of classical, jazz, rock and blues all rolled into one fine mix.
They moved out of the political and into High Pop after his death, never to regain that revolutionary zest.
I believe that Terry Kath was schooled by the best that the streets of Chi-town could offer.
His voice let me know that he was in solidarity with the oppressed and the victims of war and strife and oppression.
I been missin' that man's spirit and his music for a long, long time.

Oh I'm gonna feel bad if it turns out to be true, but some urban legends are just so morbid you laugh. Like the one about how someone got killed in the studio while the Ohio Players were recording "Love Rollercoaster" (not true: http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/roller.htm ).

The one that was the lead guitar player and sang, "Colour My World". Shot himself accidentally when showing off his guns. It was a real shame cause he was one of the best git players and had a fine voice.

Terry Kath was one fine musician. Thanks for the name!!

We play online music trivia at a restaurant in our neighborhood some Saturday nights, and one of the questions was about a Chicago song, and we went off on that line of discussion.

Terry Kath did die of a gunshot wound, but whether it was intentional or not, I don't know. 'Cleaning his gun,' if I recall correctly.

Edit:

This from "Allmusic.com" --

<<But at a party at his house on the evening of January 23, 1978, Kath (who was a longtime gun aficionado) took out one of his weapons to clean, and when asked to put it away, put the gun to his head. Reassuring everyone that it wasn't loaded, Kath pulled the trigger, and the gun did turn out to be loaded - instantly killing the guitarist barely a week shy of what would have been his 32nd birthday.>>

put a gun to his head just to show everyone it wasn't loaded. Why not the floor, the wall? I would guess there was drugs/alchohol involved.

That's why I'm skeptical - - I just can't bring myself to find that true!

Listening to their Carnegie Show right now - man they were a tight band back then!

It was the Best concert I ever saw. Two hours Beach Boys then Two hours Chicago. Then they did another hour together!!! It was sooo great and cost 10$...lol. Good ole days.

By all accounts it was a freak accident, however dumb. The man had no reason to want to die.

Baby, what a big surprise
right before my very eyes...

Terry Kath was one magnificent blues/rock guitarist.

I was a major CTA fan in the late 60's - early 70's.. even played in a Chicago cover band for about 2 years after I got out of the army in '71.. a few months ago, my wife and I stumbled into the recent Chicago concert on a PBS fundraiser night.. we were stunned that what was left of this band had not moved on an inch musically since the 70's. Of course, the audience was all old farts like us.. Their current "Greatest Hits" cd is the same.. you can draw a line about 3 tunes into the second disc.. everything after that line is crap..

Once Kath was gone, the subsequent loss of Peter Cetera (who I am certainly no fan of today), doomed the band to mediocrity..