It wasn't all fun and games back in 1967 … The War in Viet Nam was raging … and today thirteen US helicopters were shot down in one day.
On the local scene there's a brand new band that'll soon be hitting the bars called "The Big Thing". Featuring original rock and jazz arrangements augmented by a horn section, they will eventually change their name to The Chicago Transit Authority and then simply to "Chicago" and enjoy GREAT success (and … FINALLY, in 2016 … induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame) for decades to come. They held their very first rehearsal in the basement of sax player Walt Parazaider on this date in 1967. Also on board are fellow DePaul University students Terry Kath (guitar), Jimmy Pankow (trombone), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Danny Seraphine (drums) and, from Roosevelt University, keyboardist Bobby Lamm. Bassist Peter Cetera would be recruited to handle the high-end vocals and it was those original seven that cut their very first C.T.A. album a year later. (Cetera had been with The Exceptions, which also included keyboardist Marty Grebb, soon to join The Buckinghams and drummer Billy Herman who, the following year, would join The New Colony Six.)
The success of Chicago surpassed ALL of the local heroes who filled our charts in the late '60's and early '70's ... and fifty years later they are still playing to sold out crowds all over the world (with four of the original "founding fathers" ... Loughnane, Pankow, Lamm and Parazaider ... still onboard.)
The success of Chicago surpassed ALL of the local heroes who filled our charts in the late '60's and early '70's ... and fifty years later they are still playing to sold out crowds all over the world (with four of the original "founding fathers" ... Loughnane, Pankow, Lamm and Parazaider ... still onboard.)
