Danny Seraphine

Danny Seraphine is a founding member and drummer of the band Chicago Transit Authority, which would become the famed multiplatinum selling artist Chicago in 1969. Seraphine began playing drums when he was nine and started playing professionally at 17. He continued to study, however, under the famed drummers and percussionists like Bob Tilles, Chuck Foles and Jo Jones. By 1967, teaming with bassist Terry Kath and saxophone player Walter Parazaider, Danny had the core of Chicago Transit Authority and soon added Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone), Robert Lamm (keyboards) and Peter Cetera (Bass and vocals). A potential lawsuit from the actual Chicago Transit Authority, forced the name change to Chicago and changed rock and roll history forever. Seraphine and Chicago instantly made a mark on the music scene launching their first LP Chicago in 1971 that featured one of the band’s biggest and most enduring hits in “25 or 6 to 4”. The double-album and song hit #4 in the US in 1971. The debut album also set the precedence for the band as the bulk of their album names were just in number sequence. And while their next two LPs were 2 & 3 respectively, Chicago posted five consecutive #1 albums (Chicago V to Chicago X). Seraphine partnered with David Wolinski to establish Street Sound Productions and in 1974, he co-founded the venue B’Ginnings in northwest Chicago. Seraphine departed Chicago in 1990 due to creative differences. In 2006, he formed the band California Transit Authority and four years later he released his autobiography Street Player: My Chicago Story as well as an instructional DVD, “The Art of Jazz Rock Drumming”. In 2016, Danny Seraphine and Chicago were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.