Lee Loughnane

Lee David Loughnane (/lɑːkneɪn/ LOCK-nain; born October 21, 1946) is an American musician who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/woodwind section (alongside James Pankow and Walter Parazaider) as well as a backing and occasional lead vocalist.

Lee David Loughnane was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, to Philip and Juanita Loughnane. Lee is the second-oldest of five children. He began playing trumpet at age 11, using the same instrument played by his dad when he was in the Army Air Force. Lee attended St. Mel High School, an all-boys school operated by the Christian Brothers, because it had a concert band, jazz band and marching band. By the time he graduated in 1964, he knew that he wanted to be a professional musician. "There was nothing else that I wanted to do. I had no other calling." He met his future Chicago bandmates during his first year at DePaul University.

Through his friendship with guitarist Terry Kath, Loughnane met drummer Danny Seraphine and saxophone/woodwind player Walter Parazaider. Parazaider, who was trying to form a rock band with horns, encouraged Loughnane to sit in on rehearsals. Loughnane has been a member of Chicago since its inception. At first, the group was known as The Big Thing. Eventually it was renamed The Chicago Transit Authority with the addition of Peter Cetera on vocals and bass. The band was later renamed simply "Chicago."

Loughnane's songwriting contributions to Chicago have included the hit singles "Call on Me" from Chicago VII and "No Tell Lover" from Hot Streets, as well as album cuts such as "Take a Chance" from Hot Streets, "Together Again" on Chicago X, "This Time" on Chicago XI and "America" on Chicago XXXVI: Now. A copy of the latter song, released on July 4, 2014, was sent to every member of Congress. Lee described how he brought his first songwriting effort to the band, which became the Top 10 single "Call on Me", "By the time I came up with an original song the band was very well established with six albums and major success. So I sort of came in with, 'you wanna hear my song,' very timid. I didn't know if they wanted to do it. I didn't think it was good enough. My personality, 'I'm not good enough,' and you know, 'I'm just trying.'"

Loughnane made his lead vocal debut on the Terry Kath composition "Song of The Evergreens" on Chicago VII. He provides background vocals on several Chicago songs, and the occasional lead vocal such as on "Together Again" from Chicago X, "This Time" from Chicago XI, "Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" from Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and "Rockin' and Rollin' on Christmas Day" from Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three. In concert, Lee sings "Colour My World."

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.