Good afternoon, friends. This is DJ Squatch on KREX 83.3.
I'd like to take a moment to honor a musician whose work helped shape not only the sound of a legendary band, but the lives of countless listeners around the world. Walt Parazaider, founding member, woodwind master, and one of the driving creative forces behind Chicago, has crossed that final horizon.
For many people, Chicago is a great band. For me, they are much more than that.
As an autistic kid with a music hyperfocus, I didn't just listen to music. I lived inside it. Albums became places. Songs became landmarks. Few artists have occupied more real estate in my heart than Chicago.
Their music taught me that rock and roll could be sophisticated without losing its soul. It could be powerful and delicate, complex and accessible, all at the same time. The soaring horns, the incredible arrangements, and the emotion woven through every note opened doors in my imagination that have never closed.
One of my most prized possessions is my vinyl collection containing Chicago's first fifteen albums. Those records are not just cardboard sleeves and black wax. They are memories. They are companions. They are pieces of my life story.
Walt Parazaider helped create that soundtrack.
From the bold experimentation of the early years to the timeless songs that still find new audiences today, his contributions helped build something truly special. Something that continues to inspire musicians, collectors, dreamers, and music nerds like me decades later.
So tonight, wherever you are, maybe pull out an old Chicago record. Let the horns ring out. Let the music breathe. Remember the joy that great art can bring into our lives.
Fair winds and following seas, Walt.
Thank you for the music. Thank you for the memories. And thank you for helping shape the way so many of us hear the world.
This is DJ Squatch on KREX 83.3, keeping the records spinning.