Chicago (band)

Chicago is a rock band that was formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. Well known for being one of the first (and, indeed, one of the few) rock bands to make extensive use of horns and for producing a number of hit ballads, Chicago had a steady stream of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Beginnings

The band was formed when a group of DePaul University music students began playing a series of late-night jams at clubs on and off campus. They added more members, eventually growing to seven players, and went professional as a cover band called The Big Thing. The band featured an unusual and unusually versatile line-up of instrumentalists, including saxophonist Walter Parazaider, trombonist James Pankow, and trumpet player Lee Loughnane, along with more traditional rock instruments -- guitarist Terry Kath, keyboardist Robert Lamm, drummer Danny Seraphine, and bassist Peter Cetera (who was the last to join the original group). While gaining some success as a cover band, the group worked on original songs and, in 1968, moved to Los Angeles, California under the guidance of their friend and manager James William Guercio, and signed with Columbia Records. Upon release of their first record in early 1969, the band took a new name, Chicago Transit Authority (the band's name was shortened to simply Chicago soon after the album's release when the "real" Chicago Transit Authority threatened legal action).

Related Topics:
DePaul University - Saxophonist - Walter Parazaider - Trombonist - James Pankow - Trumpet - Lee Loughnane - Guitarist - Terry Kath - Keyboardist - Robert Lamm - Drummer - Danny Seraphine - Bassist - Peter Cetera - 1968 - Los Angeles, California - James William Guercio - Columbia Records - 1969 - Chicago Transit Authority

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