Walter Parazaider, the saxophonist and flautist who co-founded the rock band Chicago, has died at age 81 following a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Parazaider passed away early Wednesday while in hospice care, with his wife, JacLynn, by his side.
In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, the band said it was heartbroken at the news and extended its condolences to Parazaider's family, friends, and the countless fans grieving his loss.
According to the band, putting horns at the center of a rock group was Parazaider's idea from the start.
He assembled the lineup and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother's home, and he was also the one who handled the unglamorous work of booking the young, unknown group's earliest gigs playing top 40 covers at bars around Chicago.
"We are forever grateful for his contributions," the band wrote, adding that perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together and that the music might never have been heard without his vision.
Parazaider played saxophone, flute, and clarinet on nearly every album the group released and remained a member until stepping away from touring in 2018 due to declining health.
His playing helped define some of the band's best-known songs, including the saxophone work on "Just You 'n' Me" and the flute solo on "Colour My World."
Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, with Parazaider speaking first on behalf of the group.
He publicly shared his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2021, writing on the band's website that the news had shocked and devastated his family but that he was working hard and refused to give up.
His daughter, Felicia Helen Parazaider, also paid tribute to her father on Facebook, writing that he was no longer in pain or struggling and adding, "God bless you, you dear soul."
The band closed its tribute simply: "Rest in Peace Walt."
