Terry Melcher
Melcher on the cover of his 1974 eponymous album
Background information
Birth name	Terry Jorden
Born	February 8, 1942 (1942-02-08) New York, New York, USA
Died	19 November 2004 (aged 62) Beverly Hills, California, USA
Genre(s)	Rock, Pop
Occupation(s)	Record producer Musician Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Associated acts	Bruce & Terry The Byrds The Beach Boys Paul Revere and the Raiders

Terry Melcher (February 8, 1942 – November 19, 2004) was an American musician and record producer. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Bruce & Terry were Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher. The pair were instrumental in the development of Surf rock, recording under a variety of names The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 The Beach Boys is an American rock band Formed in 1961 the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California Youth culture Paul Revere and the Raiders is an American rock band that saw enormous mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and earlier 1970s best-known for hits like Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing

Biography

Early life

Melcher was born Terry Jorden in New York City to trombonist Al Jorden and his wife, singer/actress Doris Day. The City of New York The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American Singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as Day was only 17 years old when she gave birth to Terry. Before Terry's birth, Day was planning to leave the abusive and violent Al Jorden. Jorden was outraged when he found out about her pregnancy, and demanded Day get an abortion. An Doris refused and in turn, Jorden physically abused Day throughout her entire pregnancy. Shortly after Terry's birth, Day filed for divorce, left Terry with her mother in Ohio and went back to touring with big band leader Les Brown. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Les Brown Sr ( March 14, 1912 – January 4, 2001) and the Band of Renown are a Big band that began in the big band era After the divorce, Terry's father failed to visit his son on a regular basis and had little presence in his life. Al Jorden would ultimately commit suicide years later. ^[1]

Day's career led her to Hollywood where she appeared on local radio shows. After marrying and divorcing her second husband, saxophonist George Weidler, Day met and married Martin Melcher. Martin Melcher would become Day's manager and go on to produce many of her movies. Although Terry and Martin disliked each other intensely, Martin adopted Terry, giving the boy his surname. A surname is a name added to a Given name and is part of a Personal name. ^[2]After Martin's death in 1968, it was discovered that he had mismanaged or embezzled $20 million of Doris Day's money. ^[3]

Career

In the early 1960s, Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston formed the vocal duet Bruce & Terry. Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin on June 27 1942 in Peoria Illinois) is a member of The Beach Boys and a Bruce & Terry were Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher. The pair were instrumental in the development of Surf rock, recording under a variety of names The duo had hits like Custom Machine and Summer Means Fun. Melcher and Johnston also created another band together, The Rip Chords, that had a Top 10 hit Hey, Little Cobra. Later, Bruce Johnston would join The Beach Boys. The Beach Boys is an American rock band Formed in 1961 the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California Youth culture By the mid-60s, Melcher had joined the staff of Columbia Records and went on to work with The Byrds. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 He produced their song, Turn, Turn, Turn, and helped them to produce their remake of Bob Dylan's, Mr. Tambourine Man. " Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season " often abbreviated to " Turn! Turn! Turn! " is a song adapted entirely from the the Book of Ecclesiastes Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major For The Byrds ' album of the same name see Mr Tambourine Man (album. Due to conflicts with the band, Melcher was replaced. He later worked with Paul Revere and the Raiders, Wayne Newton, Pat Boone, Glen Campbell, Mark Lindsay and The Mamas & The Papas. Paul Revere and the Raiders is an American rock band that saw enormous mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and earlier 1970s best-known for hits like Carson Wayne Newton' (born April 3, 1942) is an American Singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas Nevada. Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone (born June 1 1934) is an American Singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s Glen Travis Campbell (born April 22 1936 in Delight, Arkansas) is a Grammy Award, Dove Award winning and two time nominated Golden Mark Lindsay is an American Musician, best known as the singer for the group Paul Revere & the Raiders. The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover were a Vocal group of the 1960s. Melcher was instrumental in signing another near-legendary L. A. band, the Rising Sons led by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder. Rising Sons was a Los Angeles California -based band found in 1964. Henry Saint Clair Fredericks (born May 17, 1942) who goes by the Stage name Taj Mahal, is an internationally recognized Blues musician Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947, in Los Angeles, California) is an American Guitarist, Singer, and ^[4] Melcher also performed on the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, as a background vocalist, and introduced Brian Wilson to Van Dyke Parks in February of 1966, beginning their partnership on the ill-fated SMiLE project. Pet Sounds is a 1966 album recorded by American pop group The Beach Boys. Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Hawthorne, California) is an American Musician best known as the lead The combination of resistance from the group and their record company and Wilson's growing mental health problems and spiraling drug use led Parks to quit the project in early 1967 Smile (sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE) is an unreleased album by the The Beach Boys, and perhaps the most ^[5] He was also a board member of the Monterey Pop Foundation and a producer of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey

The Manson Family

In 1968, Beach Boy Dennis Wilson introduced Melcher to ex-con and aspiring musician Charles Manson. Dennis Carl Wilson ( December 4 1944 – December 28 1983) was an American Rock and roll musician best known as a founding Manson and his "family" had been living in Wilson's house after Dennis had picked up two girls from the "family" hitchhiking. Wilson expressed interest in Manson's music and even recorded two of Manson's songs with The Beach Boys. For a time, Melcher was interested in recording Manson's music, as well as making a movie about the "family". During that time, Manson met Melcher at 10050 Cielo Drive, the home Melcher shared with his girlfriend, Candice Bergen, on different occasions. Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe - and Emmy Award -winning American Manson eventually auditioned for Melcher, but Melcher declined to sign him. There was still talk of a documentary being made about Manson's music, but Melcher abandoned the project after witnessing his subject becoming embroiled in a terrifying fight with a drunken stuntman at Spahn Ranch. Spahn Ranch is a 500-acre (2-km² Ranch at 1200 Santa Susana Pass Road Chatsworth California. ^[3] Both Wilson and Melcher severed their ties with Manson, a move that angered Manson. ^[6]

After severing ties with Manson, Melcher and Bergen moved out of the Cielo Drive home. The house was then leased to director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. Sharon Marie Tate (January 24 1943 – August 9 1969 was an American actress. Manson continued to turn up at the house looking for Melcher. On at least one occasion, Manson was informed that Melcher had moved. ^[3]On August 9, 1969, the house that was once occupied by Melcher was the site of the brutal murders of Sharon Tate (who was eight months pregnant at the time), coffee heiress Abigail Folger (known as Gibby to her friends), hairdresser Jay Sebring, writer Voytek Frykowski, and Steven Parent, by members of Manson's "family". Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Abigail Anne "Gibby" Folger ( August 11, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American coffee Heiress, Debutante Jay Sebring ( October 10, 1933 &ndash August 9, 1969) was an American hair stylist for celebrities Steven Earl Parent ( February 12, 1951 - August 9, 1969) was a victim of the Charles Manson Murders Early

At that time Melcher was producing Jimmy Boyd for A&M Records. For the actor from The Electric Company, see Jim Boyd (actor. A&M Records is an American Record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division Herb Alpert had previously visited a recording studio where Melcher and Boyd were recording a session for Vee Jay Records. Herbert "Herb" Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American Musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert Vee-Jay Records was a Record label founded in the 1950s specializing in Blues, Jazz, Rhythm and blues and Rock and roll. Vee Jay Records was the first record company to release The Beatles records in the USA, then lost a major law suit over the rights to the Beatles with Capitol Records and went bankrupt. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as The record never got released. Herb Alpert was impressed enough to invite Melcher to produce Boyd for A&M Records. After the initial tracks were recorded the Manson murders took place, Melcher went into seclusion and the session was never completed.

After Manson was arrested, it was widely reported that he had sent his followers to the house to kill Melcher. Manson "family" member Susan Atkins, who admitted her part in the murders, stated to police and before a Grand Jury that the house was chosen as the scene for the murders, "to instill fear into Terry Melcher because Terry had given us his word on a few things and never came through with them". Susan Denise Atkins (born May 7, 1948) is a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family" led by Charles Manson In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. ^[3] The police discounted this theory after learning that Manson knew that Melcher no longer lived there. In this aim, the Manson Family was quite successful. Melcher took to employing a bodyguard and he told prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi that his fear was so great, he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment. Vincent Bugliosi (ˌbuːliˈoʊsi with a silent g (born August 18, 1934, in Hibbing Minnesota) is an American Attorney and Melcher was the most frightened of the witnesses at the trial, even though Bugliosi assured him that, "Manson knew you were no longer living there". ^[3]

Later years

In the 1970s, Melcher again became a producer for the Byrds, but the results were not well received; one critic referred to the album Byrdmaniax as "Melcher's Folly". Byrdmaniax is an album by American band The Byrds, released in 1971 During this time, he also dabbled in real estate and served as the executive producer on his mother's CBS series, The Doris Day Show. The Doris Day Show is a 128-episode American Television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September He later recorded two solo albums titled, Terry Melcher and Royal Flush. In 1985, Terry co-produced the cable show, Doris Day's Best Friends, and worked as the director and vice president of the Doris Day Animal Foundation. He and his mother, to whom he remained extremely close throughout his life, also co-owned the Cypress Inn, a small hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Carmel-by-the-Sea, usually called simply Carmel, is a small town endowed with a rich artistic history situated on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey ^[5]

In 1988, Melcher earned a Golden Globe nomination for co-writing the song Kokomo with The Beach Boys. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner " Kokomo " was penned by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher and recorded by The Beach Boys in The song was featured in the 1988 Tom Cruise film, Cocktail, and rose to number one on the pop charts that year. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Cocktail is a film released by Touchstone Pictures in 1988. Cocktail stars Tom Cruise as a talented bartender who finds love while working ^[5]

Death

On November 19, 2004, Terry Melcher died at his home after a long battle with melanoma. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Melanoma is a Malignant Tumor of Melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the Bowel and the Eye (see He was 62 years old. ^[7]

References

External links

• Terry Melcher at the Internet Movie Database
• Terry Melcher at Find A Grave