Published 2026-06-17 16.19
Walter Parazaider, one of the original members of the band Chicago, has died of complications from Alzheimer’s, writes TMZ.
The band was founded in 1967 as The Big Thing, then changed its name to Chicago Transit Authority and finally just Chicago in 1969.
Walter Parazaider was born in 1945 in Maywood, Illinois and started playing the clarinet at the age of nine. He got an idea for a rock band with a large brass section and invited fellow musicians to his parents’ home in the early 1960s. There guitarist Terry Kath and drummer Danny Seraphine finally met trombonist James Pankow and trumpeter Lee Loughnane.
Walter Parazaider also played saxophone and flute in the band.
He toured with the band until 2016 on hits such as “Saturday in the park” and “If you leave me now”.
Walter Parazaider was 81 years old.
