A couple of weeks ago my husband and I spent a lovely Saturday evening in downtown Savannah walking the squares and then heading over to the Johnny Mercer Auditorium to see the band Chicago live in concert. My mood was very good that evening anyway, but I admit that the icing on the cake was being approached during the festivities by a lovely woman and fellow concert-goer who told me she enjoys this column. Thank you!
As is often the case, my British ‘Gen X’ experience of this rock band is a little different to my American ‘Boomer’ husband’s recollections of enjoying Chicago’s music over the years.
Originally called The Big Thing in 1967 and then changed to the Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, a legal dispute with the actual Chicago Transit Authority meant that the band shortened its name in 1969 to that of the city itself. Chicago distinguished itself from other rock bands of the late 1960s by the inclusion of a horn section in its lineup.
After moving to Los Angeles, the band got its big break playing at the Whisky A-Go-Go nightclub in West Hollywood and started opening for the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
They also introduced a numbering system for their albums—an unconventional but iconic branding choice that became a hallmark of their early career and, in the past 59 years, the band have recorded 36 studio and three live albums.
Chicago is one of the most popular American recording artists of all time, with sales of more than 100 million records.
Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys in terms of chart success of American bands, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Billboard magazine. The band has 23 gold, 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum records, including five consecutive number-one albums, and in 1974 all seven of their albums released up to that date were on the Billboard 200 at the same time.
In 2015, the magazine proclaimed them to be the ninth greatest artists of all time in terms of Billboard 200 chart success. In 2025 the U.S. Library of Congress added their first album, Chicago Transit Authority, to the National Recording Registry, a list of audio recordings deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Chicago’s longevity, touring schedule and record sales have made them a true American powerhouse of rock music.
Chicago’s classic seven early members—Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, and Danny Seraphine—were officially honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in 2016, although only five of the original seven performed onstage that night.
Initially a jazz-rock band, Chicago thrived as it moved toward a lighter, ballad-oriented rock style. It was these songs that did well in the UK in the early 1980s and which evoke memories of my high school days in London, England.
Hard to Say I’m Sorry reached number two in the UK in 1982 (and number one in the USA) and Hard Habit to Break number two in the UK but only number three in the USA. My husband, growing up in the Midwest in the 1970s, remembers the band’s early US hits including Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Saturday in the Park, and 25 or 6 to 4.
In the late 1970s, following the death of their very talented guitarist Terry Kath, Chicago slumped in popularity. Kath, who struggled with alcohol and drug dependency, died of a gun accident in 1978 at just 31 years old, and the band had a few years of transitional pain. However, they came storming back in 1982 with the release of Chicago 16 and the hit single Hard to Say I’m Sorry.
The other original band members, who were also born in the mid-1940s, are still very much alive and some are still touring and performing with the band even though they are in their 80s: keyboardist and vocalist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane, and trombonist James Pankow. It seems to be a trend for the bands of my childhood and youth to tour actively with a core of original members along with newer additions who maintain the band’s classic sound and keep it going for a new generation of music fans. There is a lot more information at www. britannica.com and www.chicagotheband. com.
Every time I go to a concert I remember that seeing live music is always much different to hearing a recorded version, so I will leave you with a quote that resonates with me, by American sports journalist, radio host and media personality– Benjamin “Big Ben” Maller: “A concert is not just a performance; it is an experience that stirs the soul.”
God Bless America!
Lesley grew up in London, England and made Georgia her home in 2009. She can be contacted at lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com or via her PR and marketing agency at www. lesleyfrancispr.com