The Doobie Brothers Issue Statement on the Passing of Chicago’s Walt Parazaider

The Doobie Brothers have shared a heartfelt statement honoring their longtime friend Walt Parazaider, founding member of Chicago, who “passed peacefully on June 17th.”

In their tribute, the band remembered Parazaider as “a founding member of the band” whose “incredible talent as a multi instrumentalist helped create the iconic sound of a horn section that will go down in history as one of the most identifiable sounds in modern music.” They noted that whether it was jazz, rock, funk, pop, or ballads, “he was at home with all genres and his strength as a player is well represented on all the albums he played on.”

The Doobie Brothers also reflected on their shared history with Chicago, going “back decades to the early 70’s,” when the two bands played many shows together, including multi‑act bills with The Beach Boys. Over the next three decades, they said, “we shared the stage with them on numerous occasions,” and became close friends, “with all the members exchanging phone numbers, addresses and emails.”

They described Walt as someone who was “always among the first people to greet everyone when we walked into the venue, always wearing a warm smile as he reached out to embrace you with a hug.” They recalled how “he always picked up the phone when you called and made you feel like he was genuinely happy to hear from you,” sometimes phoning just to say he was thinking about them. “A truly authentic, warm person, with a heart as big as the ocean,” they wrote.

“We’re so thankful for the wonderful memories we have of Walt and for the incredible legacy of music he helped to create,” the statement continued. “We send our sincere condolences to his wife and family, and of course to all his bandmates. He blessed us all with his presence and is forever in our hearts.”

The message was signed simply, “Love, from the Doobie Brothers.”