The story of Chicago is fascinating. Few bands have been through as many iterations, whether talking about their rock n roll roots in the 1960s, their commercial peak as the "band with horns" in the 1970s or their ballad-heavy resurgence in the 1980s.
They've done it all and then some. Chicago is still intact and touring today, but given that it has been around for seven decades, there are dozens of members who have come and gone. Peter Cetera is one of the most notable. Cetera was a founding member of the band, and spent nearly two decades as their bassist. He departed in 1985, however, and has never really looked back. Let's delve into why.
Peter Cetera took a larger band role in the 80s
Cetera did not play a large role in the singing or songwriting during the first decade of the band. He was relegated to bassist, and the other members went as far as to say that he was hesitant to share his songs, for fear they wouldn't be good enough. He overcame this hurdle, though, when he wrote and sang "If You Leave Me Now" in 1976. The single was not highly thought of by the band, who still considered themselves "rockers," but it went on to become their first number one pop single.
Cetera's role in the band gradually escalated from there. As the sound of popular music shifted from the 1970s to the 80s, the bassist's ballads became Chicago's main source of popularity. He worked with writer/producer David Foster on several hit singles, including 1982's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and 1984's "You're the Inspiration."
Cetera released his self-titled solo album while he was still with the band in 1981. He put even more of a focus on his second album, though, which caused friction with the other members. In a 2015 profile with For Bass Players Only, Cetera told that he was given an ultimatum by Chicago. He could put a halt to the work on his second album and go on tour, or be replaced.
The singer grew tired of "tensions" and "misplaced egos"
Cetera chose to go solo. He ditched Chicago and released his second album, Solitude/Solitaire, to commercial success in 1986. The album spawned two number one singles. The same year, he got back together with writer/producer David Foster to write the theme song for The Karate Kid Part II. The song earned Cetera an Academy Award nomination, and earned him another smash hit.
The pop star has never looked back. He didn't even attend the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Chicago in 2016. Cetera told Billboard that he made an effort to work with the other members on a performance, but old tensions arose, and he decided to walk once more.
"At this point in my life, I really don’t care to reintroduce the same negativity, misplaced egos, and petty jealousies I experienced years ago," Cetera explained. Chicago fans will likely never get to see Cetera and the other founding members reunite, but at least we have the great music to remember them by.