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The Latest
Happenings
MARCH 15, 2010
Help Fight
Cancer & Sing With Chicago
2010 CTA Convention
Attendee Page
If you are are
planning to attend and would like your information up on the page, please send
an e-mail to
webmaster@ctaofficialfanclub.net and include your Name, Location, E-mail and
if it's your First convention. Your data will be posted in a few days. See the 2010 Convention Attendees page to
see who's going.
2010 CTA Convention
We are happy to
announce the 2010 CTA Annual Convention at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Casino on
April 3, 2010.
The band will be appearing at the Hilton on Friday April 2nd and Saturday April
3rd. We have great Fan Club seating already blocked off. We also have a great
deal/rate for rooms also already blocked off. All the details will be listed
soon.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE HILTON NOW! Everything has to be set up and booked
through the Fan Club. There will be a considerable difference in convention cost
for people not booking through the Fan Club.
We will have rooms at the Hilton available the whole week. All of the details
will be announced in the next few weeks.
Thank you!! Happy Holidays!! Hope to see you in April!!
Bob Dillon
BRIAN BOITANO SKATING
SPECTACULAR
US Cable
Television Premiere
Monday, January 25 (6:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, 5:00 Central)
Olympic
gold-medalist Brian Boitano and ‘the legendary rock ‘n’ roll band with horns,’
Chicago, team up with co-host, good friend and Olympic Champion, Peggy Fleming
and Olympic, World and National Figure Skating Champions including Ryan Bradley,
Yuka Sato, Kimmie Meissner and Steven Cousins in the two-hour US Cable
Television Premiere of “Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular.”
Click thumbnails for larger images.
2010 Tour Dates
New dates have
been added, go to the Tour Dates page.
2010 Calendars
You can now order
your 2010 CTA Chicago FULL COLOR calendars!! We've got a really great calendar
put together for you. The calendars feature the entire band, including Lou
Pardini, Drew Hester and some great shots from the summer tour with Earth, Wind
& Fire taken at Madison Square Garden. Supplies are limited so order yours NOW.
Shipments have begun, so go to the
2010 Calendar Order Form page
and order one today!
Chicago Merchandise
Christmas Sale
The Chicago Merchandise store is
having a huge Christmas sale. Check it out and get big savings on your favorite
Official Chicago merchandise at
www.chicagomerch.com!!
The sale is now until January 4th
2010.
20%-80% off all items while supplies
last.
New Hooded Sweatshirt normally $60
now $39.99.
New Collector Edition 3-disc CD
specially packaged in a tin case - $30.
New for the Holidays - Pewter
Ornament, Clear Crystal Ornament & Shatterproof Ornament.
CD's and DVD's have reduced pricing
as well.
Best Wishes to Bill
Champlin!
Bill was a long
time band member and we wish him all the best as he embarks on his new solo
project, for which he's worked long and hard. He will have the time to devote to
promoting his new record and as we all move forward with our own endeavors, we
wish him lots of good luck!
Chicago with Notre Dame DVD
See the Greatest Halftime Show,
Chicago playing with the University of Notre Dame Marching Band!! Click the DVD
and a page will open in a new window. Fill out the page, print it out and
mail it to the address on the form.
Billboard
Magazine's All-Time Top 100
Billboard
Magazine is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its Hot 100 Song & Artist chart
- the official singles chart that determines what the hits are. In looking at
the history of the chart, Billboard was able to determine its all-time Top 100
artists. Chicago comes in at #13, surrounded by artists such as the Beatles, the
Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Prince, Aretha Franklin,
Marvin Gaye, and many others.
Click here to see the Top 20.
And of course,
it’s fun to scroll through the whole Top 100.
Congratulations to Chicago, and to all their fellow artists who have had such
incredible careers!
A Letter from Walt
Wanted to touch
base with all of you fans and let you know what has been going on with me the
past few years and why I have been taking time off. Maybe some of you know but
for those of you who don’t, let me clarify. I haven’t moved to Alaska to avoid
the IRS, or run off and joined the circus and I haven’t been living in an
asylum. This is what really happened.
Two years ago on August 26, 2006, I had my first angioplasty in Seattle,
Washington. One month later, I had a second angioplasty. I have 3 new body parts
called stents which reside in my arteries. Guess that ol' rock and roll life
finally caught up with me but I can’t complain I sure had a good time along the
way.
It was quite a shock to find out I was on my way to a heart attack so it took me
a while to accept that fact, along with sharing the information with people.
Perhaps this posting is long overdue but I hope you would understand how
difficult this time was for me, my wife, and family. Don’t mind saying I was
scared shitless.
After the surgeries or as they call them “procedures”, my wife, JacLyne took
great care of me. After 42 years of marriage, I didn’t think I could ever love
her more, but the care, support and strength got me through those months. She is
a petite gal but that is one tough redhead!!! Also, I will be eternally grateful
to Dr. Joe Decorso who saved my life. It was Dr. Joe who suggested I have the
tests that indicated I was in trouble. Thank goodness!!
After a long recovery, I returned to touring in February of 2007. A milestone in
my career and it was so great to be back playing with the band after being off
so long. That first night was pretty surreal for me and as I looked down the
stage and saw the guys smiling, I knew I was back home, doing what I love to do.
Since I was 13 years old, I have been entertaining people. Until I draw my last
breath, I will be entertaining people because it is part of me and what I love
to do. While I am feeling good now and grateful to be around, I have
limitations. One is the long tours and hard traveling which usually means the
summer months. The toughest part of touring is not the playing. It is getting
there. The show is the best part of the day and the most gratifying. Seeing the
joy we give to people each night is what we live for and what I will always live
for. Every show leaves me with a heartfelt memory. A fan in a wheelchair singing
along, a young kid who wasn’t even born when this band started, a couple holding
hands waiting for “their” song, and of course, the people that come out year
after year and enjoy the music. If you could see what I see from the stage, the
audience is a sea of humanity with everyone smiling. It is a pretty awesome
view.
My goal is to take care of myself and stay healthy so I can be playing for all
of you till they plant me. I am lucky enough to have a job I love. I do regret I
cannot be at every show but I will do as many as I can. If I am not at the gig
in your hometown this year, hopefully I will be there next year.
I thank all the fans for your love, kindness, and support over these past 42
years and have always appreciated your dedication. After all, it was one of the
things that kept me going when I was sick. I hope you will forgive me for not
talking about this until now and understand my situation.
Before I close, I would also like to say how great it is to see the fans in
Vegas every year. A big thank you to Bob Dillon and Hal Atzingen and the whole
fan club staff for the great job they do. Looking forward to our engagement at
the MGM in October. We are going to really kick some ass!
Take care and God bless you all.
Musically yours,
Walter Parazaider
Official Chicago
Merchandise
Get your Chicago
2008 Tour merchandise from
The Chicago Band Official
Store. T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, CD's & DVD's. Click the link in the
menu.
New CTA Site!
Based on the marble logo of
Chicago XXX, we are proud to reveal our new website! What do you think? We'd love to hear your comments!
Please write to
webmaster@ctaofficialfanclub.net.
Also, a new added feature is a
Jukebox of Chicago songs. The songs will be rotated on a periodic basis
and the first batch of songs is from Chicago II. The Jukebox opens in a
separate window, so you can browse the website and listen to Chicago!
Click the link at the bottom of the Menu. You will need Flash installed on
your computer,
CLICK HERE.
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