The Association had plenty of hits in the late 1960s, but "Cherish" is the one apparently most cherished by fans. Terry Kirkman, a founding member of the band, wrote the song, which was the group's first number one hit.
This tribute to Kirkman is one of 44 episodes dedicated to significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023. To listen to "Cherish," you can go to this 1967 live performance.
The group photo in the chapters, taken by Patrick Colecchio in 1968, shows Kirkman at the bottom right. The image is available on Wikimedia Commons.
Also in the chapters, you can go right to the tribute by skipping my intro; feel free to skip my closing remarks too. Both are there to provide context for those who haven't listened to the other tributes.
If you want to learn more about Kirkman and the band, you can go to the complete list of the Association's albums and discography on ClassicRockHistory.com. You can find books on Amazon if you search "the Association band" or Kirkman's name. If you do the latter, you'll find "Cherish" sheet music as well.
Sheldon Zoldan, the writer and editor who wrote and recorded these tributes, also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, emailshzoldan@comcast.netwith the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
Audio engineer/musician Mike Villegas edited all the audio for this series. Hope you enjoy these intriguing glimpses into the lives of the people who made some of the music we love.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in major podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.
