Chicago in the early ’80s via the band’s website. Cetera is third from left.
Update (2/5/16): It’s been quiet on the “will he or won’t he?” front. And today, Peter Cetera provided an update regarding whether he’ll be joining his former Chicago bandmates at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 8th:
“Hello everyone! I know you’re all waiting to hear what’s happening with the Hall of Fame. I know how frustrated you all are, but trust me, no one is more tired and frustrated than yours truly. I had a conference call with the musical department today and I’ve presented another song option. Right now it’s about a fidy fidy chance that we can hammer something out by the weekend. Frankly folks, Im done if this doesn’t work out. Here’s hoping this one works…Ill let you know either way ASAP…😎 ”
Update (January 7): Cetera received some input from his family to his previous post because he’s added this: “BTW..To all you doubters out there! I alone wrote that last post without the help of any speechwriters, ghost writers, muggers, buggerers etc. Well ok, my daughters did talk me into taking out all the nasty bits but hey thats it! Spoken from the heart and waiting for contact……ciao,p”
Baby, What a Big Surprise! He wants in… with some conditions.
Former Chicago lead singer and bassist Peter Cetera, who left the group in 1985, posted a letter on his website today (January 5th) addressed to his former bandmates.
Cetera offers “congratulations all around” and his interest in playing with the band: “we can walk onstage together one last time as a group, I’ll strap on the bass, and we can do 25or6to4 in the key of E.”
Here’s the letter in its entirety:
Hello Everyone! I’ve just sent this mail to everyone involved. Hopefully it will answer all the questions concerning my participation in the Hall of Fame induction..Thanks
Hello Robert [Lamm], Danny [Seraphine], Lee [Loughnane], Walter [Parazaider], and James [Pankow]. I’m sending this to you and Danny since yours are the only email addresses I have. Please forward this to everyone.
First off, congratulations all around on this long overdue honor. While our fans believe we should have been inducted years ago, they find it harder to believe that we haven’t even been nominated in all that time. Oh well, we are now!
All the credit goes to those who voted for us in overwhelming numbers during the recent poll. They alone deserve our thanks for finally making this happen.
I know we all look forward to speaking that evening and I’m sure we all wish that Terry was there to join us. That can’t happen unfortunately, but I have one thing that can.
As a finale, we can walk onstage together one last time as a group, I’ll strap on the bass, and we can do 25or6to4 in the key of E. I believe it would make for one fantastic Hall of Fame moment and satisfy those who have always wanted some sort of reunion.
Along with your current members, I would also like us to invite past members Laudir de Oliveira, Donnie Dacus, Kenny Cetera, Chris Pinnick, and Bill Champlin to join us up there as well on the song. They’ve all contributed to the legacy of the group and I think this would be a fitting way to honor them.
In the end, this should go a long way towards healing old wounds and showing solidarity on that night. At least I hope so!
See you all in Brooklyn, Peter
Cetera had told a radio audience on Monday (January 4th) that he’d share his full thoughts on the subject today. Click here for Best Classic Bands‘ previous coverage of this soap opera. (And if you’re a new reader of ours, we’d be grateful if you would Like our Facebook page and/or, gasp [!] bookmark our Home page.)
It’ll be interesting to see how the band responds. Late last month, Robert Lamm had to retract his comments from an interview with Radio.com, in which he – at the time – mistakenly said that Cetera would be playing. “He has emphatically declined,” the keyboard player told Billboard via email. “My email exchanges with Cetera were misinterpreted by me, and I’ve apologized to him, and likewise apologize to the music press community and fans.”
For now, here’s Chicago during what some have called their jazzy, live peak. This performance at Tanglewood in 1970 features a blistering guitar solo by the late Terry Kath and Cetera on lead vocals.
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationGreat news, I was hoping that they could look past the egos & the hurt feelings & do this. As much as I love the current members of the band (and believe Jason Scheff, Bill Champlin & a few others should be inducted as well) seeing PC with the band will be quite a thrill.
Cetera is calling the shots? He’s a lounge singer. Scheff has been in the band much longer than he was. I’m so sick of the Peter Cetera whine all the time. His days are long over. HE is the one who quit for private fame, let him sing to himself in the mirror. I hope he boycotts the ceremony.