Chicago Co-Founder Walter Parazaider Dies at 81

Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the legendary rock band Chicago whose innovative horn work helped define the group's sound, died on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 81.

His death was announced by his daughter, Felicia Parazaider, in a social media post early Wednesday morning. She wrote that he passed peacefully, with his wife, JacLynn, by his side. The couple had been married for 59 years.

Parazaider was a central figure in Chicago from its inception in 1967 until his retirement due to health issues in 2017 or 2018. He played saxophone, flute, and clarinet, contributing iconic solos on hits like "Colour My World" and providing the driving saxophone on "Just You 'N' Me." He is widely credited with the revolutionary idea of integrating a full horn section as equal members of a rock band, a concept that became Chicago's signature.

The band was formally conceived at a meeting in Parazaider's parents' home on February 15, 1967. He later recalled the group's humble ambitions, stating they simply wanted to create the best band in the world. Along with fellow DePaul University students Terry Kath and Danny Seraphine, and later joined...