Terry Knight
b. Terry Knapp, 9 April 1943, Flint, Michigan, USA. Knight first achieved fame as a disc jockey on Detroit's influential station CKLW. Fired for his controversial views, he formed Terry Knight And The Pack who debuted in 1966 with a sympathetic interpretation of the Yardbirds’ You're A Better Man Than I. The group then scored a US Top 50 hit with a dramatic version of (I) Who Have Nothin’, but split when later releases flopped. While his former colleagues continued as the Fabulous Pack, Knight pursued a lacklustre and unsuccessful, solo career. Never more than adequate as a vocalist, his acumen lay in business and promotion, which flourished when Mel Schacher (ex- ? And The Mysterians) joined Mark Farner and Don Brewer, (both ex-members of the Pack), in Grand Funk Railroad. Under Knight's ruthless direction this musically pedestrian trio became one of America's biggest-selling acts during the early '70s. Their mentor later represented Bloodrock, but his empire crumbled in 1972 when both attractions entered protracted legal suits to sever their management relationships. Knight lost both cases, but re-emerged with a new label, Brown Bag, which featured Mom's Apple Pie and Wild Cherry. However, his entrepreneurial skills had now deserted him, Brown Bag was a commercial failure, and a disillusioned Knight abandoned music altogether in favour of other business interests.