In 1967 Walt Parazaider (born Chicago IL, March 14, 1945),
Terry Kath (born Chicago IL, January 31, 1945), Danny Seraphine
(born Chicago IL, August 28, 1948), James Pankow (born
St. Louis MO, August 20, 1947) and Robert Lamm (born Brooklyn
NY October 13, 1944) formed a rock and roll band with horns
and named it The Big Thing. Parazaider and Kath had been in
The Missing Links and had met most of their band mates while at
De Paul University. They soon recruited Peter Cetera (born
Chicago IL, September 13, 1944) from another local band, The
Exceptions. Jim Guercio, who Parazaider and Kath also had met
at De Paul, was by this time a producer for CBS Records.
Guercio got them signed to the label and suggested a name
change to The Chicago Transit Authority.
 
In 1969 they released their first album, The Chicago Transit
Authority, which was embraced by FM rock radio and went gold
without benefit of a single. The following year they released
Chicago II. Guercio insisted that they continue the practice
of using the group’s logo, rather than a picture of the band, on
the album cover. This album broke the group on Top 40 radio,
as "Make Me Smile", "25 Or 6 To 4" and “Does Anybody
Know What Time It Is” entered the top ten of the Hit Parade.
 
 
The singles from their Chicago III were less successful.
After the singles from Chicago III had run their course, Columbia
turned back to the first and second albums which were still
in the charts, re-releasing as a single "Beginnings" backed by
"Color My World," and then "Questions 67 and 68". All became
hits and reignited interest in those earlier albums. Producer
Guercio was able to convince CBS to release the ambitious
four record set, “Chicago At Carnegie Hall”,
which sold gold upon release.
 
In 1972, the group released Chicago V, which contained
the top five single hit “Saturday In The Park.” Chicago VI
was released in 1973 and spawned the hits
“Feeling Stronger Every Day” and “Just You N’ Me”.
Chicago VII was recorded at Guercio’s new Caribou Ranch
studios in Colorado. It was preceded by the February 1974
single release of "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long". "Call On Me"
and "Wishing You Were Here", which featured
members of The Beach Boys.
 
 Their 1975 album, Chicago VIII contained the top 5 hit “Old Days”.
Chicago IX, a greatest hits album, was also released that year.
Chicago X , released in 1976, contained the group’s first number
one single If You Leave Me Now”, which was a stylistic departure
for the band.  The album won  three Grammy awards; two for
"If You Leave Me Now" and one for the album’s artwork. The
group’s 1977 album, Chicago XI , contained the hit
“Baby What A Big Surprise”.
 
 In January 1978, Terry Kath died of an accidental gunshot
wound. He was replaced by Donnie Dacus. In the fall of 1981,
Chicago added Bill Champlin (born Oakland, CA, May 21, 1947)
from The Sons of Champlin. Champlin recommended producer/
songwriter David Foster to the group.
 
The first album produced by Foster, Chicago 16, was released
in 1982 and contained the hit “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”.
Chicago 17, released in May 1984, became the band's greatest
seller and contained the hits "Stay The Night", "Hard Habit To Break"
and "You're The Inspiration". Peter Cetera left in 1985
and was replaced by Jason Scheff.
 
Chicago 18 contained the hit “Will You Still Love Me”.
Chicago 19 contained a chart topping #1 single, “Look Away.”
In 1990 Danny Seraphine and the group parted company
and was replaced by Tris Imboden.
 
 Chicago continues to perform and record. Chicago 20 was
issued in 1991; Chicago 30 was issued in 2006. The following
year they released The Best Of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition.
 
With an estimated worldwide record sales of over 120 million
units; from eighteen gold and thirteen platinum albums as
well as fifty hit singles, including twenty top 10 and five
#1 records, five of which are gold.
 
Chicago was recognized with a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame on July 23, 1992.

Visit Chicago on the web here.