Walt Parazaider, a founding member of the rock band Chicago, died on Wednesday, June 17th. He had been ill for quite some time and stepped away from touring back in 2017 when he was diagnosed with a heart condition. A year earlier, after a couple of decades' worth of unwarranted snubs, he and his bandmates were FINALLY inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Complications from Alzheimer’s Disease is given as the cause of death. (He was first diagnosed in 2021)
Walt was born and raised in Chicago … and played saxophone, flute and clarinet for the group. Chicago’s horn section was legendary. Trumpeter Lee Loughnane remains the only original member still performing with the band today, originally formed in 1967 when all three of its horn section members (trombonist James Pankow being the other) were still students at De Paul University. (Walt always cited first hearing The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" as the impetus for creating a rock band built around and driven by horns. Blood, Sweat and Tears may have beat them to the punch on the pop charts ... but they never had the sustainability that Chicago reigned.)
Although always still deeply rooted to the city from which they came, the band had to venture out to California to make it, first as The Big Thing, then as Chicago Transit Authority and then finally as Chicago. The group would score 36 National Top 40 Hits between 1970 and 1991.
Here is a photo of Walt performing with Chicago at Ravinia Park in the early 2000's that I was able to snap from the vantage point of being backstage at this show. (kk)
Shelley shares some other sad news this morning ...
DIDJAKNOW?: Yesterday's Birthday Boy, Paul McCartney is the ONLY artist to ever hit #1 in the US as a solo, a duo, a trio, a quartet and a quintet??? Yet another amazing fact in an amazing career. (kk)
Here's a great concert review by Greg Brodsky of Dion's recent appearance at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village ...
MUST VIEW Clip of the Day:
A long-time British Invasion Favorite ...
Sing Along!!!
Just follow the bouncing ... err ... you'll see ...
Volkswagon ran a few very bold and clever ads back in the day ... but I don’t think ANY of them stacked up to this one, sent in my Timmy …
Yep, I sure do remember it! (kk)
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
6/19/66 – Comedian Ed Wynn dies
