Chicago has lost one of the musicians who helped create its unmistakable sound.
Walt Parazaider, the band's founding saxophonist, flutist and woodwind player, died Wednesday at the age of 81.
"Thank you for loving my father, even if you didn’t personally know him," wrote his daughter, the Rev. Felicia Helen Parazaider in a Facebook post announcing his death. ""I'm in shock and disbelief and yet not at all. This was the worst six years."Parazaider had stepped away from touring in 2017 because of health issues and revealed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
"Five months ago, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease," he wrote in a statement at the time. "Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated. It has taken a while to process this news and the fact is, we still are. The good news is we have a wonderful medical facility here and I have a very good doctor. I am working hard and not going to give up. With new treatments and therapy, along with my family's love and support, I feel very positive about the future."
For nearly 50 years, Parazaider remained a constant presence in Chicago, helping the band evolve from an ambitious rock group with a horn section into one of the most successful acts of the classic rock era. His saxophone, flute and woodwind arrangements became an essential part of the band's sound, appearing on classics including "25 or 6 to 4" "Saturday in the Park," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Colour My World."
Born in Chicago in 1945, Parazaider studied clarinet before helping form the band that would eventually become Chicago in the late 1960s. At a time when few rock groups featured a full horn section, the band's fusion of rock, jazz and pop helped set it apart, paving the way for a string of hit albums and singles throughout the 1970s and beyond.
As Chicago's popularity grew, so did its influence. The band went on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide, earn multiple No. 1 hits and become one of the most commercially successful American rock bands of all time. In 2016, Parazaider joined his bandmates in being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, recognizing a career that spanned nearly five decades.
"I wish that the band could have been put in a time capsule and we were doing right now what we were doing then," trumpet player Lee Loughnane told Rolling Stone in April. "It's just not the way life works."
Throughout that remarkable run, Parazaider was rarely the focal point of the band, but his contributions were woven into its identity from the very beginning. Whether adding a soaring flute melody or helping build the horn arrangements that became Chicago's trademark, his musicianship played a key role in defining the sound generations of fans came to know.
Parazaider's death marks the loss of one of Chicago's last remaining founding members. More than half a century after helping launch the band, the music he created continues to define one of classic rock's most distinctive catalogs.
Related: 1971 Rock Classic, Lasting Nearly 8 Minutes, Became a Timeless Road Trip Anthem
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