CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the rock band Chicago, died at the age of 81. His daughter, Felicia Parazaider, announced his death in a Facebook post.

Parazaider co-founded Chicago in 1967 with Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Danny Seraphine. The band was originally known as the Big Thing. Parazaider was responsible for booking the band's initial performances at local bars.

Parazaider played reed instruments, saxophone, flute, and clarinet for the band. He played the flute solo on the 1970 single "Colour My World" and saxophone on the 1973 single "Just You 'n' Me." The band stated, "A Rock & Roll band with horns was Walt's idea. He put the band together and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother's home."

Felicia said, "My father, my hero, is gone. He went peacefully about 20 minutes ago." Parazaider retired from performing with Chicago in 2018. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2021, and lived with the condition for six years. Parazaider announced his diagnosis in a statement. He said, "Five months ago, I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I am working hard and not going to give up."

The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April 2016. In 1976, the band released the single "If You Leave Me Now", which reached number one on music charts in the U.S. and the U.K. The band expressed gratitude for his contributions, stating, "We are forever grateful for his contributions. Perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together."