The Doobie Brothers Pay Tribute to Chicago's Walter Parazaider

The Doobie Brothers are honoring Chicago founding member Walter Parazaider, who died last week. He was 81.

In a post on social media, the group said they wanted to “bid farewell to our good friend” and said that their friendship with Chicago dates back to the early 1970s, “when we played many shows with them.”

“We became good friends with all the members exchanging phone numbers, addresses and emails,” they stated in the post. “Walt was always among the first people to greet everyone when we walked into a venue. Always wearing a warm smile as he reached out to embrace you with a hug.”

The Doobie Brothers also shared some personal memories about him. They shared that he was a happy person to be around.

“He always picked up the phone when you called and made you feel like he was genuinely happy to hear from you,” they stated. “On occasion you might get a call from him just checking in to let you know he was thinking of you.”

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They added that he was a “truly authentic, warm person with a heart as big as the ocean. We’re so thankful for the wonderful memories we have of Walt and for the incredible legacy of music he helped create.”

Finally, they sent their “sincere condolences to his wife and family and of course to all his bandmates. He blessed us all with his presence and is forever in our hearts.”

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It’s obvious that Parazaider left an impression on the Doobie Brothers. It’s sweet to see them publicly pay tribute to him this way.

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 8:11 PM.