Sign Terry's Memorial Guestbook
View Terry's Memorial Guestbook
Below are pictures of Terry throughout his life. As I scan more pictures of Terry they will be added here. Lots of pictures here and they may take time to load. Please be patient.
Sign Terry's Memorial Guestbook
View Terry's Memorial Guestbook
Below are pictures of Terry throughout his life. As I scan more pictures of Terry they will be added here. Lots of pictures here and they may take time to load. Please be patient.
Some of my most fond memories with my brother revolve around our involvement with music together. In 1962, Terry had been shown a few chords on the guitar by our father. Terry showed me what he had learned on the guitar, and from that small beginning we formed a rock n' roll band that kept us both busy and out of trouble all during our high school years. We played in a band together for seven years from 1963 to 1969.
We named our first group "The Imitations", because we tried to copy or imitate the style of the big singing groups of our day. My brother and I became so accomplished with our music that we began writing songs together. We thought we were going to be the next, "BEATLES." My brother Terry was the natural leader for our group and we all followed him and his lead. He was the most talented musician out of us all and he was the best singer in the band. He had a great voice and he played great lead guitar riffs.
The group that we had started with a couple of teenage friends became a small business for us. In 1966 we recorded our first 45 RPM record with the backing of a local producer in Toledo, Ohio that had his own label called "Peck Records." The first professional record that we cut, was written by my brother Terry, and I. He wrote the lyrics and I wrote the chords and melody for the music and the entire band refined the sound. The titles for the two songs we had written for our first record release, were words that our mother used to say to us quite a bit while we were growing up. The (A-side) of our first record was titled, "I Give You An Inch, And You Take A Mile" and the (B-side) was titled, "You've Got Another Think Coming."
For recording purposes we were told that we needed a new name. We chose the name "THE MODS." The name of the group was chosen for no particularly reason I remember, we just liked the sound of the name. With the success of that first 45 RPM record, my brother Terry tried getting us an audition with some record companies in Detroit, Michigan. Believe it or not, he talked us into an audition with a major label in Detroit. The A&R people of the label we auditioned for liked what they heard and we were signed to a two year recording contract.
The label for that record company was called, "Impact Records." We were so excited! We would be recording at "Golden World Studios" in Detroit, Michigan. This studio had recorded a lot of the major radio hits during the 1960's. Two of the groups that recorded there were, "Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels", and the "Shades of Blue." The "Shades of Blue" had a number one hit song out at that time called. "Oh, How Happy!"
Pictured below in the first picture is our group. "THE MODS." From left to right (standing) are, Terry Smith age 19, (Lead guitar, lead vocals and backup vocals); Larry Music age 19, (Rythmn guitar and backup vocals); Larry Smith age 17, (Bass guitar, lead vocals and backup vocals); Horizontal, and being held up by the other three band members is, Fred Jablonski, age 19, (Drummer and backup vocals).
I quit playing actively in rock bands during 1969 but my brother Terry, went on to become a member of several other bands during the next 25 years or so in the Toledo area. Terry was the perpetual front man and showman. He was a powerful lead singer with a great voice. He could imitate other singers voices very well and he was a talented musician, on several musical instruments.
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"The Wrecking Crew" 1952
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Larry (age10) Terry (age 12) |
Terry and Darla 1983 |
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1983/ Larry age 34, (friend Bill center) |
Terry 1991 age 44
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December 1987
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Terry age 40 December 1987 |
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Nephew (Brandon) 1982 with |
Terry 1975 age (28) as Santa |
1987 Terry as Santa (age 40) with |
1987 Terry as Santa (age 40) with |
Terry Singing in The Downtown Brown Band in the 1980's |
Terry at church, October 1999 |
Terry (center of picture) in the 1980's with "The Downtown Brown Band." |
Terry in the early 1970's while with the band
"Reyvanwood" in his one of his |
Terry
age 40
