(June 17, 2026) He was quietly part of one of the great bands of our lifetimes, and one-third of a legendary horn section. Today, we mourn the passing of Walter Parazaider, the gifted saxophone, clarinet and flute player who helped the band Chicago become one of the most instantly recognizable acts in popular music. He was 81.
For more than half a century, Parazaider was one of the architects of a band that refused to fit neatly into any box. Rock, jazz, soul, pop, classical precision and street-corner punch all lived inside Chicago’s music, and Walt’s horn work was part of the glue that made those parts work.
As a founding member of the band first known as The Big Thing, Parazaider helped shape — and was the biggest proponent of — a new idea: a rock band with horns not as decoration, but as the foundational sound. Alongside Lee Loughnane and James Pankow, he formed a unit that became among the immediately identifiable in popular music.
Even amid all of the big horn sounds of Chicago’s work, one of Parazaider’s most impactful moments came via his gentle flute solo on “Colour My World,” a song that became the defining middle school and high school slow dance jam for many of us in the 1970s.
Parazaider stepped away from performing in 2018 as health challenges mounted, and he later faced Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, JacLynn, and their daughters, Laura and Felicia.
I was blessed to see Parazaider and crew in action and it was a show I’ll never forget. The breadth of their discography is stunning, and the energy of the show, decades into Chicago’s career, made it an all-time favorite. Just as he was. Rest in peace.
By Chris Rizik
