Peter Cetera, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Terry Kath, Walter Parazaider, Danny Seraphine and Robert Lamm, of the American rock band Chicago, pose for a group portrait in London, England, August 26, 1970. (Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)
Chicago has paid tribute to founding member Walter Parazaider, who passed away Wednesday after living with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81.
“Chicago is heartbroken to share the sad news of Walter Parazaider’s passing this morning,” the band writes on Instagram. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and countless Chicago fans who are all grieving his loss today.”
“A Rock & Roll band with horns was Walt’s idea. He put the band together and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother’s home,” the post continues. “He is also the one who did the hard work to book shows for the young, unknown band, performing top 40 covers at local bars in and around Chicago.”
“We are forever grateful for his contributions,” the post concludes. “Perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together. This amazing music may have never been heard had it not been for Walt’s vision.”
Parazaider was part of the original lineup of Chicago, along with Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Danny Seraphine. The band formed in its namesake city in 1967.
Parazaider, Loughnane and Pankow made up the band’s brass/woodwind section, with Parazaider playing a variety of instruments, including saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Peter Cetera, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Terry Kath, Walter Parazaider, Danny Seraphine and Robert Lamm, of the American rock band Chicago, pose for a group portrait in London, England, August 26, 1970. (Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)
Chicago has paid tribute to founding member Walter Parazaider, who passed away Wednesday after living with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81.
“Chicago is heartbroken to share the sad news of Walter Parazaider’s passing this morning,” the band writes on Instagram. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and countless Chicago fans who are all grieving his loss today.”
“A Rock & Roll band with horns was Walt’s idea. He put the band together and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother’s home,” the post continues. “He is also the one who did the hard work to book shows for the young, unknown band, performing top 40 covers at local bars in and around Chicago.”
“We are forever grateful for his contributions,” the post concludes. “Perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together. This amazing music may have never been heard had it not been for Walt’s vision.”
Parazaider was part of the original lineup of Chicago, along with Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Danny Seraphine. The band formed in its namesake city in 1967.
Parazaider, Loughnane and Pankow made up the band’s brass/woodwind section, with Parazaider playing a variety of instruments, including saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Peter Cetera, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Terry Kath, Walter Parazaider, Danny Seraphine and Robert Lamm, of the American rock band Chicago, pose for a group portrait in London, England, August 26, 1970. (Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)
Chicago has paid tribute to founding member Walter Parazaider, who passed away Wednesday after living with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81.
“Chicago is heartbroken to share the sad news of Walter Parazaider’s passing this morning,” the band writes on Instagram. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and countless Chicago fans who are all grieving his loss today.”
“A Rock & Roll band with horns was Walt’s idea. He put the band together and they rehearsed in the basement of his mother’s home,” the post continues. “He is also the one who did the hard work to book shows for the young, unknown band, performing top 40 covers at local bars in and around Chicago.”
“We are forever grateful for his contributions,” the post concludes. “Perhaps his greatest gift was bringing people together. This amazing music may have never been heard had it not been for Walt’s vision.”
Parazaider was part of the original lineup of Chicago, along with Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Danny Seraphine. The band formed in its namesake city in 1967.
Parazaider, Loughnane and Pankow made up the band’s brass/woodwind section, with Parazaider playing a variety of instruments, including saxophone, flute and clarinet.
Cher attends the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Cleveland (Courtesy of Disney+ & Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
Cher is in talks for her first film role since 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning entertainer may provide the voice for an animated Australian film called Fly Squad — First Strike! The movie is about three insects who team up to find an antidote to a chemical that threatens their survival.
Cher is reportedly interested in voicing the mother of the main character. Deadline notes the project appealed to her because it’s “a fun way to highlight species preservation.”
Cher isn’t the only famous musician involved in the film. Deadline reports that Irish artist Bob Geldof — best known as the driving force behind the 1985 charity concert Live Aid and the charity Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” — is in talks to voice a “legendary insect rock star” who organizes “Insect Aid.”
Cher, who recently turned 80, has been fairly quiet musically, aside from a performance on Saturday Night Live in December.
Cher attends the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Cleveland (Courtesy of Disney+ & Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
Cher is in talks for her first film role since 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning entertainer may provide the voice for an animated Australian film called Fly Squad — First Strike! The movie is about three insects who team up to find an antidote to a chemical that threatens their survival.
Cher is reportedly interested in voicing the mother of the main character. Deadline notes the project appealed to her because it’s “a fun way to highlight species preservation.”
Cher isn’t the only famous musician involved in the film. Deadline reports that Irish artist Bob Geldof — best known as the driving force behind the 1985 charity concert Live Aid and the charity Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” — is in talks to voice a “legendary insect rock star” who organizes “Insect Aid.”
Cher, who recently turned 80, has been fairly quiet musically, aside from a performance on Saturday Night Live in December.
Nashville Songwriters Association International will give Riley Green its Songwriter-Artist of the Year honor Sept. 22 during the ninth annual Nashville Songwriter Awards at the historic Ryman Auditorium.
The news comes on the heels of “Change My Mind” becoming Riley’s seventh #1 earlier in June.
Blake Pendergrass will pick up the Songwriter of the Year award. He notched his first chart-topper in July 2025 with Morgan Wallen’s “Just in Case” and went on to grab three more.
As previously announced, Vince Gill will get the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, with Paul Williams picking up the NSAI President’s Keystone Award.
Tickets go on sale July 17 for the night, which will also unveil Song of the Year winner(s), the much-anticipated Songs I Wish I’d Written and the 2026 Legendary Song honor.
An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California, June 15, 2026. (KABC)
(LOS ANGELES) — The eight people killed in an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crash in California have been identified.
The B-52 was on a “routine test mission” Monday morning when it crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base and burst into flames, officials said.
Everyone on board was killed: four crew members, one civilian and three contractors, officials said.
The victims were identified by the base as: Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center; retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, weapon systems officer, 419th Flight Test Squadron; Maj. Robert Dee, 40, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron; Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron; and Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4 contractor.
“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing Commander, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, loved ones and fellow Airmen, Air Force civilians and mission partners affected by this tragedy.”
Two Boeing employees were among the victims. Boeing said in a statement, “The loss of Miles and Greg is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation, a process that will likely take several months, Col. James Hayes, deputy commander for the 412th Test Wing at the base, said Monday.
Test missions take place multiple times a day at Edwards Air Force Base, Hayes said.
L-R) Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush perform during the opening night of their first American tour in 11 years at The Kia Forum on June 07, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Rush was joined by special guest Aimee Mann during the four-night opening stint of their Fifty Something tour in Los Angeles, but it turns out Mann almost said no to the gig.
The singer joined the band to reprise her part on “Time Stand Still” from 1987’s Hold Your Fire. But she reveals in an Instagram post that she initially wasn’t keen on doing it.
Mann posted a hand-drawn comic with the caption “What I did last week,” where she explained how her guest appearance came about.
“Way back in March, I got an email from Geddy Lee, from the band Rush. But I was quite frankly in a s***** place and couldn’t imagine doing it,” she explains on top of the drawings. “I was in such a hole I couldn’t even answer one way or the other. I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t try.”
Apparently she finally agreed, and goes on to say the band “were so kind and welcoming.” She writes, “I felt protected by their bubble of music and Canadian warmth, and buoyed aloft by their fans.”
Within the drawings, she reveals what was going on in her head after being asked, including her worry about the size of the KIA Forum, where Rush was playing, and her original plan, which was to “just apologize profusely and explain that I’m a crazy person.”
There are also drawings depicting Lee welcoming her, as well as one of the pair onstage together.
The Rush 50 Something tour heads to Mexico City for two nights, Thursday and Saturda. A complete list of dates can be found at Rush.com.
Gemma Chan, Harry Styles, Sydney Chandler and director Olivia Wilde attend the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 5, 2022 in Venice, Italy. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
Over three years after their breakup, Harry Styles’ former girlfriend Olivia Wilde is addressing the fact that their relationship really made fans angry.
While appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, host Alex Cooper asked the director and actress why she thought her romance with Harry was so “triggering.” “It really did upset people,” Olivia said, referring to the fact that she’s 10 years older than Harry.
“It was crazy, I don’t know how much I understand it yet. That’s one of the factors that I never really felt I like fully … I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, I know that it has existed for a very long time in our society. I understand it had very little to do with me. It is something that we have … done … to women for a long time. Why is it? I don’t know. People were f****** pissed.”
Olivia also chalked it up to the “kind of parasocial relationship people have” with Harry, adding that it’s a “burden” that he “carries … with grace.”
She added, “It’s wild because, I mean, we had the loveliest relationship. Like so, so sweet and so beautiful and like, really, actually, very domestic and kind and lovely.” She noted that she and Harry “existed in this little bubble” where they weren’t affected by the negativity.
But, she acknowledged, “It’s almost like the happiness made them mad.” She recalled how people would criticize her for attending his shows and dancing.
Olivia and Harry started dating while he was starring in her movie Don’t Worry Darling. They split in late 2022. Harry is now allegedly engaged to Zoë Kravitz, but neither Harry nor Zoë has confirmed that.
A fire killed at least 30 horses at a barn on Nelson Avenue used by trainers at the nearby harness track, June 16, 2026, in Saratoga, NY. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
(SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.) — Seventeen horses died after a fire broke out in a barn in Saratoga Springs, New York — a city famous for its rich equestrian heritage.
The Saratoga Springs Fire Department responded to a structure fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel harness racing facility early Tuesday, officials said.
When firefighters arrived, the barn was “heavily” engulfed in flames, the department said in a statement. They were able to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings, but the majority of the horses died as a result of the fire.
After the fire broke out around 2:30 a.m., security personnel from both Saratoga Casino Hotel and the nearby Saratoga Racecourse — along with emergency responders — acted quickly to evacuate horses from neighboring barns and secure the surrounding area, according to the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association. About 350 horses are typically housed in the backstretch, the association said.
Seventeen horses being housed within the barn died, located in the backstretch area of the harness racetrack, according to the association. There were a total of 18 horses in the barn, the association noted.
The horses belonged to two trainers who stabled their horses in the barn. Trainer Robyn Mangiardi lost 11 horses, while trainer Timothy Benson lost six horses, the association said.
“The loss suffered today is heartbreaking for our racing community,” Sam Gerrity, CEO of Saratoga Casino Hotel, said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with Robyn, Tim, their teams, the horse owners, and everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Sarah Burger, counsel for Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association, described the horses’ deaths as a “tragic loss” and thanked first responders for jumping into action so quickly.
“This is a sobering day in our industry, a horseperson’s worst nightmare,” Henry Westbrook, Jr, president of the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association, said in a statement. “We express our deep condolences to all impacted and thank all emergency responders and track workers for their quick response.”
No civilians or firefighters were injured as a result of the fire, the department said. The area near the fire remains closed as officials investigate.
Grief counseling services are being made available to trainers, caretakers, owners and other members of the backstretch community affected by incident, according to the association.
The association declined to provide further comment to ABC News.
