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00:00Most people remember Terry Jacks for one song.
00:03Fewer know the full story of the person who helped shape his career
00:06and the painful road both of them traveled long after the fame faded.
00:11What unfolded in their later years involved battles most people fight privately,
00:16away from the spotlight they once shared.
00:19Some of those battles they won, others they didn't,
00:22and the loss that finally came hit harder than anything a chart position could ever measure.
00:27The success that broke them.
00:30Terry Jacks grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the oldest of five boys.
00:34His father owned a successful architecture firm,
00:37so it seemed almost certain that Terry would follow the same path.
00:41He even studied architecture at university.
00:43But deep down, music was always where his heart was.
00:47In the early 1960s, his family moved across Canada to Vancouver.
00:52Even though his parents encouraged him to become an architect,
00:55Terry had already made up his mind.
00:57He picked up a guitar and threw himself into music instead.
01:01By the age of 18, he had joined forces with guitarist Guy Sobel to form a band called The Chessman.
01:08The group quickly made a name for itself around Vancouver.
01:11Between 1964 and 1966, The Chessman landed four top ten hits in the city,
01:17becoming one of the area's most popular local acts.
01:20One moment from that era perfectly captured how passionate their fans had become.
01:25During a Friday night back-to-school performance at Eaton's Department Store in Burnaby's Brentwood Mall in September 1965,
01:32a group of students from Burnaby South Senior High decided to put their favorite radio station to the test.
01:39They were regular listeners of C-Fun 1410 AM, which constantly promoted its request line.
01:46Unsure if anyone was actually paying attention, the students flooded the phone lines,
01:50all requesting the B-side of The Chessman's latest single.
01:54To their surprise, it worked.
01:55The station began playing the song repeatedly, and before long, the record had become a rare two-sided hit,
02:02all because a determined group of teenagers refused to stop calling.
02:06As the mid-1960s rolled on, Terry continued building his reputation as both a singer and guitarist.
02:14Alongside performing in local clubs with The Chessman, he also appeared on CBC Television's Music Hop.
02:20That show would end up changing his life for reasons that had nothing to do with chart success.
02:26It was there that he met a young singer named Susan Peskelvitz,
02:30the woman who would eventually become both his musical partner and his wife.
02:34Susan's journey had started years earlier in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
02:38where she grew up in a family of eight children.
02:41Singing came naturally to her.
02:43At just seven years old, she was already performing live on a local radio station every Saturday afternoon.
02:49When she was nine, her family relocated to Haney in British Columbia's Fraser Valley.
02:54She continued singing in school and church choirs, and by the age of 14,
02:59she was already earning money as a professional performer.
03:02Singing at Legion Hall dances for just one dollar a night.
03:06Her talent kept opening bigger doors.
03:08At 15, she earned a place on the Let's Go Review, part of CBC's Music Hop,
03:14a national music variety show inspired by Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
03:18As a teenager, she became one of the show's regular performers,
03:23earning admiration from everyone who worked with her.
03:26Years later, broadcaster Terry David Mulligan remembered Susan as an exceptionally kind,
03:32talented, and humble person whose warmth matched her remarkable voice.
03:37Then came 1966 when one unexpected phone call changed everything.
03:42Susan needed a rhythm guitarist for a performance in Hope, British Columbia.
03:45She contacted every guitarist she knew, but nobody was available.
03:50Eventually, someone suggested calling Terry Jacks.
03:53His previous band had recently broken up, so there was a good chance he was free.
03:58He was.
03:59That single performance marked the beginning of a partnership that would eventually become the Poppy family.
04:04Although Susan continued pursuing her solo career through television appearances and live performances,
04:11she and Terry started playing together in coffeehouses whenever they could.
04:15By early 1967, they invited their friend Craig McCaw to join them on lead guitar.
04:21Around that same time, Susan decided to fully commit to the new group.
04:25Their first name was Powerline, but it never really felt like the right fit.
04:29Even so, the band continued performing throughout Vancouver and steadily built a loyal following.
04:35Eventually, during a rehearsal break, they began searching magazines, newspapers, and even dictionaries for inspiration.
04:43While flipping through one dictionary, they came across an entry describing the Poppy family
04:48as a varied species of flowering plant.
04:51The name immediately stood out.
04:53From that moment on, they became the Poppy family.
04:56Later that year, after a brief romance, Terry and Susan got married,
05:00and Susan Pesklovitz officially became Susan Jacks.
05:04As 1968 arrived, the group expanded once again.
05:08Craig McCaw had developed a fascination with East Indian music and was learning to play the sitar.
05:14Through that interest, he met Satwant Singh, an accomplished tabla player.
05:18Satwant joined the group, completing a lineup unlike almost anything audiences had heard before.
05:24The Poppy family blended Susan's emotional vocals, Craig's distinctive guitar work,
05:29and Satwant's traditional Indian percussion into a sound that felt fresh and completely original.
05:35It didn't take long for the band to earn a reputation as one of Canada's most creative new acts.
05:41Ironically, despite the word family in their name, life behind the scenes was anything but peaceful.
05:47Former band member Bruce McGraw later recalled that rehearsals and performances could become incredibly tense.
05:54Terry was known for demanding complete control over every aspect of the band,
05:58and his perfectionism often created conflict.
06:02According to McGraw, there were even times during the live shows
06:05when arguments between Terry and Susan became so intense
06:09that Susan would throw down her tambourine, leave the stage in tears, and walk off mid-performance.
06:15Still, the music never stopped.
06:17In 1968, Terry began focusing more heavily on songwriting,
06:22and the group released its debut single, Beyond the Clouds, through London Records.
06:27Early the following year, they followed it with, What Can the Matter Be?
06:31Then, everything changed.
06:33Later in 1969, the Poppy family released, Which Way You Goin' Billy,
06:38the song that would transform them from a successful Canadian band into international stars.
06:43Even more remarkable was how modest the recording process had been.
06:47The song was recorded in a small Vancouver studio for only a few hundred dollars.
06:52Hoping for a breakthrough in the United States,
06:55the band first shopped the recording around Los Angeles,
06:58searching for a major American record deal.
07:00Every label passed.
07:02Rather than giving up, they returned home,
07:04signed a full contract with London Records, and released the song anyway.
07:08The story behind its title has remained the subject of debate ever since.
07:13The song was originally written during the Vietnam War era under the title,
07:18Which Way You Goin' Buddy, and told the story from a man's perspective.
07:22It was later rewritten from the viewpoint of a woman whose partner had left her behind.
07:27The disagreement centered on one simple question.
07:30Where did the name Billy come from?
07:32Susan maintained that she suggested using the name of one of her six brothers.
07:37Terry strongly rejected that version of events.
07:39In an interview with SoCan's Words and Music magazine,
07:43he insisted the inspiration came from the Beaumark song,
07:46Billy Billy Went A-Walking,
07:48arguing that as the songwriter, he knew exactly how the title had come about.
07:52Whatever the true story was, the title became unforgettable.
07:56By the summer of 1970, the Poppy family received the biggest news of their careers
08:01in one of the most unexpected ways imaginable.
08:04While traveling through Los Angeles for an interview,
08:07Susan and the band were sitting in the back of a chauffeured car
08:11when the driver casually mentioned that Which Way You Goin' Billy
08:14had just sold one million copies.
08:17There was no official ceremony, no dramatic phone call,
08:20just a passing comment from someone behind the wheel.
08:23For a moment, Susan could hardly believe what she had heard.
08:26Then the reality finally hit.
08:28The little band from Vancouver had officially reached the big leagues.
08:32Which Way You Goin' Billy became the first record from Vancouver
08:35to sell more than one million copies.
08:38In the United States, it climbed all the way to number two
08:40on the Billboard Hot 100, held back from the top spot
08:44only by Ray Stevens' Everything Is Beautiful
08:46and the Beatles' The Long and Winding Road.
08:49The success carried over into Canada's Juno Awards,
08:53where the Poppy family dominated the ceremony,
08:55winning Best Single, Best Middle-of-the-Road Album,
08:58Best Group Performance, and Outstanding Sales.
09:01By the end of its run, the record had sold
09:03well over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
09:07Although the song had become an international classic,
09:09it had gone through major changes before reaching listeners.
09:13Terry first wrote it as
09:14Which Way You Goin' Buddy?
09:15From a Man's Perspective,
09:17Susan believed the story would be even more powerful
09:20if it were sung by a woman.
09:22Together, they reworked the lyrics
09:24and searched for the right replacement for the word Buddy,
09:27eventually settling on Billy.
09:29Ironically, the song's enormous success
09:31also reshaped the band itself.
09:33After Billy became a worldwide hit,
09:36Terry dismissed Satwant Singh and Craig McCaw,
09:39reducing the Poppy family to just himself and Susan.
09:42Even as a duo, they continued producing successful records,
09:45including That's Where I Went Wrong and Where Evil Grows.
09:49As demand for live performances increased,
09:52they hired additional touring musicians
09:53while continuing to record in the studio.
09:56The formula kept working,
09:57and they remained a steady presence on the Canadian charts
10:00through 1972.
10:02Despite the success,
10:04Terry never fit the image of a typical pop star.
10:06He openly admitted that money was never his biggest motivation.
10:10He disliked touring,
10:12avoided media attention whenever possible,
10:14and often joked that he would rather spend his time fishing
10:16than promoting records.
10:18At the same time,
10:19he had taken on nearly every responsibility surrounding the band,
10:23handling not only songwriting and performing,
10:25but also much of the management and business side.
10:28The workload became overwhelming,
10:30and eventually he decided to retire the Poppy family name altogether.
10:34Looking back,
10:35several factors contributed to the group's surprisingly short life.
10:39Their longtime manager, Dub Allbritton,
10:41who also managed rockabilly legend Brenda Lee,
10:45died in 1971,
10:46leaving a major gap behind the scenes.
10:49Then came another decision that many believe changed the band's future.
10:52Terry turned down an invitation to perform
10:55Which Way You Go and Billy?
10:56on The Ed Sullivan Show,
10:58choosing instead to appear at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan.
11:02Unlike many successful groups of the era,
11:05the Poppy family never fully embraced touring.
11:07Susan genuinely enjoyed performing live,
11:10but Terry never felt comfortable living on the road.
11:12His relentless pursuit of perfection
11:14also began taking a heavy toll on his marriage.
11:18Years later,
11:19Terry openly admitted how demanding he had been
11:22while recording Susan's vocals.
11:24He believed emotional songs needed genuine emotional performances,
11:28and he constantly pushed her to reach that point.
11:31During the recording of
11:32Which Way You Go and Billy?
11:33The first version sounded technically perfect,
11:36but Terry felt it lacked the heartbreak the lyrics demanded.
11:39The feeling bothered him so much
11:41that it sparked an argument after they returned home.
11:44The following day,
11:45they returned to the studio.
11:47Susan was emotionally drained,
11:49exhausted,
11:49and completely worn out.
11:51This time,
11:52the performance captured exactly what Terry had been searching for.
11:55He later admitted
11:56that he intentionally pushed Susan
11:58because he believed sadness could not simply be acted.
12:02In his view,
12:03songs about heartbreak needed to sound genuinely broken,
12:06while Susan naturally possessed a bright, joyful voice
12:10that he constantly tried to soften for those recordings.
12:13Eventually,
12:14the pressure became too much.
12:15The marriage collapsed,
12:17the couple divorced,
12:18and by 1973,
12:20both Terry and Susan launched separate solo careers.
12:23Susan immediately released her debut solo album,
12:26I Thought of You Again.
12:28The title track became a major Canadian hit
12:31and earned her a Juno nomination
12:32for Canadian Female Vocalist of the Year.
12:35Another memorable song from the album,
12:37You Don't Know What Love Is,
12:39had an especially personal origin.
12:41It grew out of a heated argument
12:43between Susan and Terry,
12:44who was still producing her music,
12:46despite their relationship falling apart.
12:49Susan later recalled
12:50that Terry had such a short attention span
12:53during disagreements
12:54that she often had to express herself
12:56in brief, direct sentences
12:58just to keep his attention.
12:59During one argument,
13:01she told him he didn't know what love was
13:03and admitted
13:03she simply couldn't understand him.
13:06Not long afterward,
13:07Terry returned with a brand new song
13:09built around those exact words.
13:11At least one lasting piece of music
13:13had come out of the argument.
13:14While Susan focused on performing,
13:17Terry expanded his business interests.
13:19He owned Gone Fish and Music Lowellet,
13:21and later Sunfish Publishing,
13:23but producing records
13:24remained his greatest passion.
13:26Even while producing Susan's recordings,
13:28he continued releasing music
13:30under his own name
13:31through Bell Records'
13:32American Distribution Network.
13:34His first notable solo success
13:36came in 1970
13:37with I'm Gonna Capture You,
13:39which reached number 16 in Canada.
13:42Nearly two years later,
13:43Concrete C matched that achievement.
13:45Then his cover of Buddy Holly's
13:47I'm Gonna Love You Too
13:48climbed to number 7,
13:49giving him another major hit.
13:52Still, none of those songs
13:53came close to what happened next.
13:55In 1974,
13:56Terry released the title track
13:58from his debut solo album,
14:00Seasons in the Sun.
14:01That single didn't just become another hit.
14:03It completely changed his career forever.
14:06The unexpected birth of a classic.
14:08The story of Seasons in the Sun
14:10actually began long before
14:11Terry Jacks ever stepped into the picture.
14:13The song was originally written in 1961
14:16by Belgian singer, songwriter,
14:18and poet Jacques Brel.
14:20Titled Le Moribond,
14:22which translates to
14:23The Dying Man,
14:24it was performed entirely in French.
14:26A few years later, in 1964,
14:29American poet Rod McEwan
14:31translated the lyrics into English,
14:33and the Kingston trio
14:34recorded the first English language version.
14:36That was the recording
14:38Terry Jacks happened to hear,
14:39and it immediately caught his attention.
14:41Years later,
14:42during an interview with Song Facts,
14:44Terry recalled having dinner
14:46with Jacques Brel in Brussels
14:47after his own version
14:48became a worldwide hit.
14:50During that conversation,
14:51Brel revealed the real inspiration
14:53behind the original song.
14:55According to Terry,
14:56Brel explained that it was about
14:58an elderly man
14:59dying from a broken heart
15:00after discovering that his best friend
15:02was having an affair with his wife.
15:05Brel had reportedly written the song
15:07while staying in a brothel in Tangier,
15:09and his original performance
15:10was completely different
15:12from the gentle ballad
15:13most people know today.
15:14He performed it
15:15almost like a marching song,
15:17giving it an energetic rhythm
15:19that contrasted sharply
15:20with its heartbreaking lyrics.
15:22In Brel's version,
15:23the dying man
15:24says goodbye to his priest,
15:26his closest friend,
15:27and finally to his unfaithful wife,
15:29Françoise.
15:30Even after learning
15:31she had repeatedly cheated on him,
15:33including with his best friend,
15:35he forgives her
15:36before taking his final farewell.
15:38When Terry first learned
15:39the story behind the song,
15:41he found it unforgettable.
15:42There was something
15:43about its emotional weight
15:44that stayed with him.
15:46Even though he never cared much
15:47for Rod McEwan's
15:48English translation,
15:50the song itself
15:51continued to occupy his thoughts.
15:53Eventually,
15:54Terry decided to create
15:55his own arrangement.
15:57Rather than recording it himself,
15:59he first offered it
16:00to one of the biggest bands
16:01in the world,
16:02the Beach Boys.
16:03The group had invited Terry
16:04to produce a recording for them,
16:06something he considered
16:07a tremendous honor.
16:09Believing Seasons in the Sun
16:10would perfectly suit
16:11their signature harmonies,
16:13especially with Carl Wilson
16:14on lead vocals,
16:16Terry suggested
16:16they record his arrangement.
16:18The sessions began
16:19at Brian Wilson's home,
16:20but they quickly became
16:22far more complicated
16:23than anyone expected.
16:25Although Terry had been
16:26brought in as the producer,
16:28Brian Wilson struggled
16:29to step away
16:30from his usual role.
16:31Known for spending months
16:32perfecting recordings,
16:34Brian repeatedly wanted
16:35to keep working
16:35on the master tape,
16:36even though the sessions
16:37technically belonged to Terry.
16:39The situation became
16:40so difficult
16:41that the recording engineer
16:42reportedly took the master tape
16:44home every night
16:44just to prevent Brian
16:45from making further changes
16:47without permission.
16:48The project dragged on endlessly.
16:50Later, Terry admitted
16:51that the constant tension
16:53nearly pushed him
16:54to a breaking point.
16:55He poured enormous energy
16:56into the sessions,
16:57but with everyone pulling
16:58in different directions,
17:00the recordings
17:00never reached the finish line.
17:02Eventually,
17:03he accepted
17:03that he simply couldn't
17:05complete the project.
17:06The band's personal lives
17:07only made things
17:08even more chaotic.
17:09According to Terry,
17:10the Beach Boys
17:11were going through
17:12an especially turbulent period.
17:14Mike Love was deeply involved
17:16in spiritual movements.
17:17Dennis Wilson had become
17:18entangled with Charles Manson
17:20before the murders,
17:21and Brian Wilson
17:22was struggling
17:22with his own
17:23well-documented
17:24personal challenges.
17:25Meanwhile,
17:26Carl Wilson
17:27and Al Jardine
17:28were doing everything
17:29they could
17:29to hold the band together.
17:31Under those circumstances,
17:32finishing the recording
17:33became almost impossible.
17:35Still,
17:36the sessions
17:36weren't a complete loss.
17:38While working
17:38with the Beach Boys,
17:39Terry collaborated closely
17:41with Al Jardine
17:42on the backing vocals
17:43and developed an arrangement
17:44that he would later use
17:45when recording
17:46the song himself.
17:47Even then,
17:48Terry knew
17:48one thing had to change.
17:50Jacques Brel's
17:51original story
17:52centered on betrayal,
17:53infidelity,
17:54and forgiveness.
17:55The dying man
17:56spent his final moments
17:57saying goodbye
17:58to the people
17:58closest to him,
17:59including the wife,
18:00who had repeatedly
18:01been unfaithful,
18:02and the friend
18:03who had betrayed him.
18:04That storyline
18:05never felt right
18:06to Terry.
18:07Instead of preserving
18:08those themes,
18:09he completely
18:09reshaped the song.
18:11He rewrote much
18:11of the lyric
18:12and even added
18:13an entirely new
18:14final verse.
18:15His inspiration
18:16came from somewhere
18:17deeply personal.
18:18One of Terry's
18:19closest friends
18:20had recently died
18:21from leukemia,
18:21and that heartbreaking loss
18:23became the emotional
18:24foundation for his
18:25version of Seasons
18:26in the Sun.
18:27Recording it
18:28was anything but easy.
18:29Looking back
18:30during an interview
18:31with Meme Ray TV,
18:32Terry admitted
18:33that he struggled
18:33with the idea
18:34of performing
18:35the song at all.
18:36Because it was
18:37inspired by someone
18:38he loved,
18:38he never felt
18:39comfortable earning
18:40money from such
18:41a deeply personal
18:42tribute.
18:42That discomfort
18:43eventually became
18:44one of the reasons
18:45he stopped performing
18:46live as often.
18:47The rewritten version
18:48also reflected
18:49another painful
18:50real-life experience.
18:52One afternoon,
18:53Terry was out
18:53playing golf
18:54with a close friend
18:55named Roger,
18:55when Roger quietly
18:56revealed that he
18:57didn't have much
18:58longer to live.
18:59At first,
19:00Terry refused
19:01to believe it.
19:01Sadly,
19:02the diagnosis
19:02was acute leukemia,
19:04and at that time,
19:05there was very little
19:06doctors could do.
19:07Just four months later,
19:08Roger passed away.
19:10That loss transformed
19:11Seasons in the Sun.
19:13Instead of telling
19:13the story of a man
19:14betrayed by his wife,
19:16Terry focused on
19:17something far more
19:18universal,
19:18the heartbreak
19:19of saying goodbye
19:20to the people
19:20who mattered most.
19:22His version became
19:23a farewell to a best friend,
19:25a father,
19:25and a loved one,
19:26removing the themes
19:27of infidelity entirely
19:28and replacing them
19:29with grief,
19:30love,
19:31and acceptance.
19:32Even after finishing
19:33the recording,
19:33Terry still wasn't convinced
19:35he should be the one
19:36singing it.
19:37He doubted his own voice
19:38and offered the song
19:39to several established
19:40artists instead,
19:41including Larry Evoy
19:43of Edward Bear
19:44and Canadian singer-songwriter
19:46Gordon Lightfoot.
19:47Both declined.
19:48With no one willing
19:49to record it,
19:49the finished master
19:50simply sat on the shelf.
19:52Then came one of the most
19:53unexpected turning points
19:55of Terry's career.
19:56One day,
19:57his neighborhood paperboy
19:58stopped by
19:59and asked what
20:00his next single would be.
20:01Terry admitted
20:02he hadn't decided
20:03but played Seasons
20:04in the Sun anyway.
20:05The young listener
20:06loved it instantly.
20:08What surprised Terry
20:09even more
20:09was what happened
20:10the following day.
20:11The paperboy returned,
20:13this time bringing
20:14six friends with him.
20:15They all wanted
20:16to hear the song again.
20:17Watching a group of kids
20:19become completely
20:20captivated by the recording
20:21made Terry rethink everything.
20:23If the song could connect
20:25with them that deeply,
20:26maybe it deserved a chance
20:27after all.
20:28It turned out to be
20:29one of the best decisions
20:30of his life.
20:32Released in 1973
20:33as Terry's second solo single
20:35after Concrete Sea,
20:37Seasons in the Sun
20:38exploded around the world.
20:40The song reached number one
20:42on the Billboard Hot 100
20:43in the United States
20:45where it stayed
20:45for three consecutive weeks.
20:48It also topped the charts
20:49in the United Kingdom
20:50and became an international phenomenon.
20:52Remarkably,
20:54Terry released it
20:54through his own
20:55independent label,
20:56Goldfish Records.
20:58Within weeks,
20:58it became the fastest-selling single
21:00in Canadian history,
21:02moving more than 285,000 copies
21:05in an incredibly short period.
21:07Its success quickly caught
21:08the attention of
21:09Bell Records Vice President
21:11Dave Carrico,
21:12who immediately flew to Vancouver
21:13to secure
21:14the American distribution rights.
21:16Bell Records released the single
21:18in the United States
21:19and by Valentine's Day
21:21in 1974,
21:22it had already earned
21:23its first RIAA gold certification
21:26after surpassing
21:27one million sales.
21:29The momentum never slowed.
21:31The record eventually sold
21:32more than three million copies
21:33in the United States alone
21:35and over six million worldwide,
21:37making it one of the biggest
21:39selling singles of the decade.
21:41The success completely transformed
21:43Terry's life.
21:44With the money he earned
21:45from the song,
21:46he bought a boat
21:47and fittingly named it
21:48Seasons in the Sun.
21:50Spending long stretches
21:51sailing along the coastlines
21:53of Canada and Alaska
21:54gave him time to reflect
21:56and those experiences
21:57gradually strengthened
21:58his spiritual beliefs.
22:00Not long afterward,
22:01Terry returned to
22:02Jacques Ebrel's catalog
22:03for another recording.
22:04He chose
22:05If You Go Away,
22:06another English adaptation
22:08by Rod McEwen
22:09of Ebrel's famous French song
22:11Ne Me Quitte Pas,
22:12which literally means
22:13Don't Leave Me.
22:14Unlike Seasons in the Sun,
22:16however, the song
22:17failed to capture
22:18the public's imagination,
22:19peaking at only number 68
22:21on the American charts.
22:23Why He Quit at His Peak
22:25By the mid-1970s,
22:27Terry Jacks had reached a point
22:28where the music business
22:29no longer brought him
22:30the same excitement.
22:32He never enjoyed
22:32the endless touring,
22:34constant promotion,
22:35or the pressure
22:35that came with being a pop star.
22:37So despite standing
22:38at the peak of his success,
22:40he gradually stepped away
22:41from recording,
22:42although he continued
22:43producing music
22:44for other artists
22:45behind the scenes.
22:46Before long,
22:47even producing
22:48wasn't enough
22:49keep him in the industry.
22:50Burned out by the demands
22:51of pop music,
22:52Terry walked away
22:53almost completely.
22:54Instead,
22:55he embraced Christianity
22:56and devoted himself
22:58to a cause
22:59that became
22:59just as important to him
23:00as music had once been,
23:02protecting the environment.
23:04His focus turned
23:05toward fighting
23:06water pollution
23:06and deforestation,
23:08particularly challenging
23:09the practices
23:10of Canada's pulp
23:11and paper industry.
23:12For Terry,
23:13environmental activism
23:14became more
23:15than just a new passion.
23:17It also allowed him
23:18to build an identity
23:19beyond the one song
23:20that had defined his career.
23:22He later admitted
23:23that becoming known
23:24as an environmentalist
23:26was the only thing
23:27that finally allowed people
23:28to see him
23:29as more than simply
23:30the man behind
23:31Seasons in the Sun.
23:32Eventually,
23:33longtime friend
23:34and fellow musician
23:35Bob Buckley
23:35encouraged him
23:36to return to recording.
23:38After marrying his manager,
23:39Margaret Zittier,
23:41Terry slowly found his way
23:42back into the studio.
23:44In the fall of 1982,
23:45he released a compilation album
23:47titled
23:48Into the Past.
23:49Along with his best-known
23:50solo recordings,
23:51the collection featured
23:52a previously unreleased song,
23:54You Keep Me Up,
23:55as well as a newly recorded version
23:56of
23:57The Poppy Families
23:58Where Evil Grows.
23:59His comeback continued
24:00the following year
24:01with a brand new studio album
24:03called Pulse.
24:04For the project,
24:05Terry teamed up
24:06with Bob Buckley
24:06as co-producer.
24:08Buckley had already built
24:09an impressive reputation
24:10through bands
24:11such as Straight Lines
24:12and Body Electric
24:13and would later work
24:14with artists
24:14including Brian Adams,
24:16Sailing Dion,
24:16Aerosmith,
24:17and Simple Plan.
24:18The album produced
24:19several memorable songs
24:20including
24:21Voice of America,
24:22Television,
24:23Rainy Eyes,
24:24and another recording
24:25of Where Evil Grows.
24:27Its biggest single,
24:28You Fool Me,
24:29climbed to number 26
24:30on the Canadian charts.
24:31A few years later,
24:32in 1987,
24:34Terry signed with
24:35Attic Records
24:35and released another album
24:37just like that.
24:38The title track
24:39became its only single
24:40and reached number 17
24:41in Canada.
24:42But once that chapter closed,
24:44Terry made another
24:45life-changing decision.
24:46He retired from the music business
24:48for good.
24:49The reason was simple.
24:50He still couldn't stand touring.
24:52Rather than slowing down,
24:54he redirected his energy
24:55into environmental activism
24:56with the same determination
24:58he had once poured
24:59into songwriting.
25:00He founded an organization
25:02called Environmental Watch
25:03dedicated to holding
25:05major logging
25:05and pulp companies
25:06accountable for pollution
25:08and environmental damage
25:09across Canada.
25:10Unlike many celebrities
25:11who simply lent their names
25:13to charitable causes,
25:14Terry became deeply involved himself.
25:17In 1988,
25:18he filed a lawsuit
25:19against British Columbia's
25:20Ministry of Environment
25:21after it granted
25:22a pollution permit
25:23to Howe Sound Pulp and Paper.
25:25Although he eventually
25:26withdrew the case in 1990,
25:28it happened only after
25:29the ministry laid
25:3019 separate pollution charges
25:32against the company.
25:33His activism wasn't limited
25:35to courtrooms.
25:36In 1989,
25:37Terry organized a flotilla
25:39of boats that sailed past
25:40several pulp mills
25:41in Howe Sound
25:42protesting industrial pollution.
25:44Throughout the 1990s,
25:46he remained locked
25:47in lengthy legal battles
25:48over emissions
25:49and changes to environmental
25:50permits issued to pulp mills.
25:53His efforts eventually
25:54helped influence
25:55major environmental policy
25:56in Canada.
25:57Terry was widely credited
25:59with playing an important role
26:00in the passage
26:01of two federal laws
26:03that strengthened protections
26:04against coastal logging
26:05and placed tighter restrictions
26:07on fish canning operations
26:09involving foreign fishing fleets.
26:11His work earned recognition
26:12from organizations,
26:13including the United Nations
26:15and the Western Canada
26:16Wilderness Committee,
26:17the heartbreaking death
26:18of Terry Jacks
26:19and his partner.
26:20After spending years
26:21making headlines
26:22for music
26:23and environmental activism,
26:25Terry unexpectedly found himself
26:26back in the news
26:27in 2001
26:28for far less positive reasons.
26:30The RCMP responded
26:32to an incident
26:33at his home
26:34in Seychelt,
26:34British Columbia.
26:35The investigation
26:36resulted in charges
26:37involving improper firearm storage
26:39and alleged spousal abuse.
26:41Although the firearm
26:42was not connected
26:43to the alleged assault,
26:44the incident severely
26:45damaged the relationship
26:47and less than a year later,
26:48Terry and Margaret divorced.
26:50Years later,
26:51another series of challenges
26:52arrived,
26:53this time involving his health.
26:54In 2016,
26:56Terry suffered two strokes
26:57within six months
26:58of each other.
26:59In a remarkable twist of fate,
27:01both Terry
27:01and his former wife Susan,
27:03two of Vancouver's
27:03most recognizable music figures,
27:05found themselves hospitalized
27:07at nearly the same time.
27:08Only a few years earlier,
27:10Terry had successfully
27:11overcome prostate cancer
27:12and appeared healthy
27:13while promoting his song
27:15Starfish on the Beach.
27:17Then,
27:17in March 2016,
27:19he suffered his first stroke
27:20while aboard his boat
27:21near Pender Harbor
27:22on British Columbia's
27:24Sunshine Coast.
27:25Six months later,
27:26another stroke struck.
27:27Friend Jamie Anstey
27:29later explained
27:29that Terry had been
27:30recovering in Haida Gwaii
27:32and seemed to be
27:33making steady progress
27:34before suddenly suffering
27:35another stroke.
27:36He was airlifted first
27:37to Prince Rupert Hospital
27:39and later transferred
27:40to Lionsgate Hospital
27:42for specialized treatment.
27:43At the very same time,
27:45Susan was fighting
27:45a life-threatening
27:46medical battle of her own.
27:48She had spent several weeks
27:49at Surrey Memorial Hospital
27:51after severe complications
27:52from kidney disease
27:54left her on life support.
27:55Early reports painted
27:56an incredibly grim picture.
27:58Her son,
27:59Thad Duszynski,
28:00shared that she was
28:01facing the fight
28:02of her life
28:02as doctors worked
28:03to stabilize her condition.
28:05Then,
28:06almost unbelievably,
28:07things began to improve.
28:09When former Poppy family
28:10bandmates,
28:11Craig McCaw
28:11and Satwant Singh
28:12visited her,
28:13they were amazed
28:14by the difference.
28:15Just days after
28:16being critically ill,
28:17Susan was smiling,
28:19laughing,
28:19and joking with visitors.
28:21Veteran broadcaster
28:22John Tanner
28:23noticed the same
28:24dramatic turnaround.
28:25Only a week earlier,
28:26he had seen her
28:27in an induced coma.
28:28Now she was awake,
28:30chatting with visitors,
28:31telling stories,
28:32and reflecting on
28:33what felt to her
28:33like a near-death experience.
28:35Against the odds,
28:36both Terry and Susan
28:37recovered.
28:38Susan even returned
28:39to the recording studio
28:40in 2018
28:42to begin work
28:43on another album,
28:44proving once again
28:45how determined she was
28:46to keep making music.
28:47In March 2022,
28:49Terry reached out
28:50to fans through Facebook
28:51after another
28:52difficult period
28:53in his life.
28:54He explained
28:54that he had experienced
28:55a challenging 2021,
28:57spending time
28:58in the hospital
28:59before finally beginning
29:00to feel much stronger again.
29:02He also thanked supporters
29:03for their concern,
29:04saying their encouragement
29:05had given him strength
29:06and expressing hope
29:07for better days ahead.
29:09Just weeks later,
29:10heartbreaking news arrived.
29:11On April 25, 2022,
29:14Susan Jacks passed away
29:15at the age of 73
29:16while waiting
29:17for a kidney transplant
29:18in a British Columbia hospital.
29:20She had spent years
29:21battling kidney disease.
29:23Terry paid tribute
29:24to his former wife
29:25and longtime musical partner,
29:27remembering her
29:28as someone with a kind heart
29:29who had brought his songs
29:30to life
29:31through her remarkable voice.
29:32He added
29:33that she would live
29:33on beyond the clouds,
29:35a touching reference
29:36to one of their
29:36earliest recordings together.
29:38Susan's health struggles
29:39had stretched back
29:40many years.
29:41After being diagnosed
29:42with kidney failure,
29:44she gradually reduced
29:45her performing schedule.
29:46Then, in 2010,
29:48her older brother
29:49donated one of his kidneys,
29:50giving her a second chance
29:52at life.
29:52The transplant allowed Susan
29:54to return to recording
29:55and performing,
29:56something she deeply treasured.
29:58She often spoke
29:59about how profoundly
30:00the experience
30:00had changed her perspective,
30:02saying it gave her
30:03a completely new appreciation
30:04for life
30:05and left her believing
30:06should overcome
30:07almost anything.
30:08Sadly,
30:09that second chance
30:10eventually came to an end.
30:12Complications from an infection
30:13ultimately claimed her life.
30:15Her brother,
30:16Billy Peskovitz,
30:17later remembered
30:18that music had always been
30:19part of who Susan was.
30:21According to him,
30:22she was always singing
30:23right up until her final years.
30:25But the infection
30:26became too overwhelming
30:27and her heart
30:28eventually stopped.
30:30During her memorial service,
30:32Billy described her
30:32as an extraordinary sister,
30:34devoted mother,
30:35loyal friend,
30:36and a woman
30:37whose beautiful voice
30:38touched countless people.
30:39He remembered
30:40her gentle personality,
30:41incredible determination,
30:43and the strength
30:44she showed
30:44throughout both
30:45her music career
30:46and her long battle
30:47with illness.
30:48He also expressed
30:49the family's deep gratitude
30:50to the nurses,
30:51doctors,
30:51and health care workers
30:53at Surrey Memorial Hospital
30:54who cared for Susan
30:55during her final days.
30:57Tributes quickly poured in
30:58from across Canada's
30:59music community.
31:00Singer Burton Cummings
31:02remembered her
31:03as warm,
31:04genuine,
31:04and down-to-earth.
31:06Legendary broadcaster
31:07Red Robinson
31:08reflected on how
31:09Susan had brightened
31:10Canadian television
31:11through her early appearances
31:13on CBC's Let's Go
31:15before achieving
31:16lasting success
31:17with the Poppy family
31:18and as a solo artist.
31:20Perhaps most remarkable
31:21of all,
31:22Susan never stopped
31:23looking ahead.
31:24Even during her final years,
31:25she was still working
31:26on new music.
31:27Her optimism remained
31:29one of her defining qualities.
31:31She believed
31:31her positive outlook
31:32had helped prepare her
31:34for every challenge
31:35life placed in front of her
31:36and that determination
31:37stayed with her
31:38until the very end.
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