Walter Parazaider, Founding Member of Chicago, Dies at 81

Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the seminal rock band Chicago, has died at 81. His passing on Wednesday, June 17, followed a six-year battle with Alzheimer's disease.

His wife, JacLynn, confirmed to TMZ that Parazaider passed away at 2:10 a.m. with her by his side. His daughter, Felicia Helen Parazaider, also confirmed his death through a Facebook post, expressing that her father was no longer suffering.

Parazaider was instrumental in forming Chicago in 1967, alongside friends Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Danny Seraphine. The band, originally known as The Big Thing and later Chicago Transit Authority before shortening its name, was named after the city where it was formed. Parazaider, known for his saxophone skills and ability to play multiple instruments, remained a constant fixture in the band until his retirement in 2018.

Throughout his career with Chicago, Parazaider and his bandmates achieved significant success, including three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles: "If You Leave Me Now" (1976), "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (1982), and "Look Away" (1988). The band also had five Billboard 200-topping albums, with "Chicago V" spending nine weeks at the top of the chart in 1972. Chicago was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Parazaider's death comes six years after his Alzheimer's diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, characterized by a buildup of proteins that leads to the death of brain cells over time. An estimated 6.9 million people in the United States live with the disease.

(Source: Billboard)