One-Hit Wonders: Terry Jacks

Singer, songwriter, producer and activist, learn more about Terry Jacks, from imdb.com.

Terry Jacks is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jacks pursued music in the mid-60s by joining The Chessmen, a Vancouver band, as a singer and guitarist. They disband after only minor hits.

Jacks met Susan Pesklevits, whom he married, and they formed The Poppy Family. They hit No. 1 in Canada and No. 2 in the U.S. with "Which Way You Going, Billy?" The Poppy Family did win a few Juno Awards. Follow-up singles "That's Where I Went Wrong" and "Where Evil Grows" did well. The couple divorced in 1973.

In 1974, according to songfacts.com, Jacks heard "Le Moribond," which translates to "Dying Man," by The Kingston Trio that they recorded in 1964. It was written in 1961 by Belgian Jacques Brel, who performed it in French. The song was translated to English by Rod McKuan.

Originally, the song was about a man dying of a broken heart because his wife was sleeping with his best friend. Jacks rewrote the song for his friend who was dying of leukemia.

Jacks asked his friends The Beach Boys if they would record it. However, it did not get completed because Brian Wilson kept wanting to rework it.

Since that wasn't working, Jacks asked Al Jardine to do back-up vocals and recorded "Seasons In The Sun" himself. It hit No. 1 in the U.S. and topped the charts in the UK. In 1974, he won the Juno Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Single of the Year and Best Selling Single of the Year.

His second single, "Don't Leave Me," hit No. 68 on U.S. charts.

Jacks took some time off and bought a boat to sail the West Coast. Then he had a revelation and became an environmental activist. Jacks checks that pulp and logging companies follow Canadian laws.

Jacks lives in British Columbia.