Chicago Co-Founder Was 81
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Walter Parazaider, co-founder and saxophonist/flautist of the rock band Chicago, has died at age 81 after battling Alzheimer’s disease, the band announced.
- Parazaider was instrumental in forming Chicago in 1967, contributing to their signature jazzy horn sound and playing on over two dozen albums until his retirement in 2018 due to health issues.
- Chicago achieved major success with hits like “Saturday in the Park,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “If You Leave Me Now,” earning a Grammy and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
- The band credited Parazaider with the idea of a rock band with horns and acknowledged his early efforts in booking shows and shaping the group’s identity.
- Parazaider’s daughter shared a heartfelt tribute expressing gratitude for the support and relief that her father passed peacefully after a difficult six-year illness.
