Terry Jacks is a Canadian that was in a couple of groups in the 60s. As a member of the Poppy Family the group had a song, “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?,” that did fairly well on the record charts in 1970.

Jacks biggest hit would be “Seasons in the Sun” in 1974. The song was written in 1961  as “Le Moribond” (“The Dying Man”) by Belgium song writer Jacques Brel. In 1963 poet Rod McKuen wrote some English lyrics and the song was recorded by the Kingston Trio. Then in 1970 Terry Jacks, acting as a producer ,recorded a version of the song with The Beach Boys. It didn’t turn out very well so the song wasn’t released. Terry Jacks rewrote some of the lyrics because he thought the original  English version was “too macabre.”

“Seasons of the Sun” by Jacks was the #1 song on the Cash Box Top 100 chart for two weeks (Feb. 28 – March 9). On the Billboard Hot 100 chart it was the top song for 3 weeks (Feb. 24 – March 16). The song sold 14 million copies worldwide.

Terry Jacks never had another hit songs. In the 1980s, he became involved in the environmental movement, focusing on pulp mill pollution issues in Canada. His work has earned him several environmental awards.