Walter Parazaider, founding member of iconic rock band Chicago, has died after a six-year battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 81 years old.
The musician’s wife, JacLynn, told TMZ that Parazaider passed away at 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday (June 17). She was by his side when he died.
His daughter Felicia Helen Parazaider also confirmed his death in a Facebook post. “My father, my hero, is gone,” she wrote in part. “There’s no more pain. No more struggle. … This was the worst six years.
The hardest season of my life. And I’m so grateful that my dad is not suffering anymore. I love you poppy, my Pal.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Parazaider for comment.
The musician’s death comes about six years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He was one of the estimated 6.9 million people in the United States who live with the disease, which is the most common cause of dementia and involves a buildup of proteins that causes brain cells to die over time, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Known for his skills as a saxophonist and ability to play multiple instruments, Parazaider helped found Chicago in 1967 with his friends Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Danny Seraphine in the city after which the band was named — although the group originally called themselves The Big Thing followed by Chicago Transit Authority before shortening the latter to one word. The lineup would change over the years, but Parazaider was a constant member of the band up until his retirement in 2018.
He and his bandmates scored a multitude of hits with Chicago, including three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s: 1976’s “If You Leave Me Now,” 1982’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and 1988’s “Look Away.” The band also notched five Billboard 200-topping albums, with Chicago V spending nine weeks atop the chart in 1972.
Chicago was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
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