Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Chicago, has died.

The musician died on Wednesday, June 17, of complications from a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81.

Parazaider’s death was confirmed by his daughter Felicia Parazaider on Facebook, writing, “My father, my hero, is gone. He went peacefully about 20 minutes ago. There’s no more pain. No more struggle.”

“I’m in shock and disbelief and yet not at all. This was the worst six years. The hardest season of my life. And I’m so grateful that my dad is not suffering anymore,” she added.

Parazaider was part of the original lineup of Chicago, which was formed in its namesake city in 1967. Other original members included Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Danny Seraphine.

They were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Parazaider retired from Chicago in 2017 and announced in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: RTT Music News

Alice Cooper will release a new box set featuring his first four solo albums with a selection of rarities on July 31.

The Studio Albums 1975-1978 is available in 5LP and 5CD configurations exclusively at rhino.com. The albums include Welcome to My Nightmare (1975), Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976), Lace and Whiskey (1977), and From the Inside (1978). An album of bonus material adds seven tracks, including single versions of “Welcome To My Nightmare” and “You And Me.”

Cooper’s 1975 platinum-certified solo debut, Welcome to My Nightmare, was the first of eight studio albums and the beginning of a new chapter in a legendary career that has haunted music for half a century.

The gold-certified Alice Cooper Goes to Hell introduced his biggest-selling single, “I Never Cry.”

Cooper shifted gears in 1977 on the platinum-certified Lace and Whiskey, adopting the persona of the bumbling, hard-drinking private investigator Maurice Escargot. It featured the Top 10 ballad “You And Me.”

His fourth album in four years, 1978’s From the Inside is a concept album co-written with Bernie Taupin that draws directly from Cooper’s recent experience in an asylum. Produced by David Foster, the album includes the hit single, “How You Gonna See Me Now,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Source: RTT Music News

Following the remix double single from Horse Meat Disco and DJ White Shadow, global music icons Duran Duran continue the Free To Love remix series with two brand new reworks of their collaboration with Nile Rodgers.

This latest release brings together two distinctly different club-facing interpretations of the band’s euphoric anthem, courtesy of rising U.K. producer Harrison, who recently went viral when his update of t.A.T.u’s “All The Things She Said” featured in “Heated Rivalry,” and electronic innovator BastienkHz.

Harrison has just been added to the huge lineup for Duran Duran’s return to BST Hyde Park in July, and today the “Free To Love Harrison Remix” is landing with sleek contemporary house energy, amplifying the song’s message through soaring synths and a euphoric festival-ready atmosphere. Known for his melodic electronic productions and forward-thinking approach to dance music, Harrison delivers a remix that feels equally at home in the sunshine as well as in the clubs.

Speaking on the remix, Harrison said, “It’s a real honour to work on a Duran Duran record, especially one with Nile Rodgers involved. ‘Free To Love’ already has that timeless energy, so for the remix I wanted to keep the emotion intact while giving it a club feel that works in my world.”

Meanwhile, the BastienKhz “Free to Love: Jersey Black Cat Remix” takes the track into more adventurous territory, reshaping its cyber-funk foundations through a blend of electronic textures and futuristic club elements. The result is an imaginative reworking that highlights the versatility of the original composition while opening up entirely new dimensions within the song.

Discussing the remix, BastienkHz said, “It was so fun to work on “Free To Love” listening to Simon Le Bon’s vocal – a voice I grew up listening to…”

Since its release in April, “Free To Love” has quickly become one of Duran Duran’s biggest and most celebrated recent releases.

Source: RTT Music News

Grammy winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and Songwriters Hall of Famer John Fogerty was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala in New York City.

The organization’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award recognizes a songwriter whose body of work has had a profound and enduring impact on American music.

Originally inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, Fogerty now joins an elite group of Mercer Award recipients that includes Dolly Parton, Elton John, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra and more.

2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee Steve Miller introduced Fogerty during the ceremony, praising his “singularly recognizable style” and “timeless contributions to our musical culture.”

While accepting the honor, Fogerty reflected on a songwriting journey that began in childhood, recalling how his mother first introduced him to the writers behind the songs he loved and encouraged his early fascination with songwriting. He spoke about writing his first song at age eight, forming his first band as a teenager, and preserving the ideas that would later become classics in a songwriting notebook he still treasures today.

Fogerty’s speech also touched on the challenges that shaped his career, including years spent separated from ownership of his music and the long road to reclaiming it.

“In the dark times of my life, I felt this might never happen for me,” he told the audience, reflecting on the significance of receiving the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor after ultimately regaining control of his catalog.

Following his speech, Fogerty delivered a high-energy medley alongside his sons Shane and Tyler Fogerty, performing classics including “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Fortunate Son.”

While speaking with reporters on the red carpet Thursday night, Fogerty revealed that a long-awaited film based on his life and music is currently in development, noting that additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Source: RTT Music News

The Rolling Stones have teamed up with Marvel for a limited-edition vinyl series for the band’s upcoming album Foreign Tongues.

The exclusive U.S. series features five collectible vinyl variants inspired by iconic Marvel characters, each paired with a custom comic book insert showcasing artwork designed to match the corresponding vinyl edition.

The Marvel collaboration gives each variant its own identity, featuring Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Hulk.

Foreign Tongues, the Stones’ 25th studio album, is set to be released on July 10. The album was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London under the direction of Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt.

It follows 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, which marked the Stones’ return after 2016’s Blue & Lonesome.

Source: RTT Music News