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Chicago’s time: rolling into the Hall of Fame
By John Benson
Late last year, longtime Chicago singer-bassist Jason Scheff enjoyed a bittersweet moment when it was announced the classic-rock band was a 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
His momentary elation was soon tempered by the news the Rock Hall was inducting only the band’s original members: Lee Loughnane, Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, Peter Cetera (who left the group in 1985), Danny Seraphine (who left the group in 1990) and Terry Kath (deceased).
Still, Scheff, whose dad, Jerry, was a former Elvis Presley touring bassist, is taking the high road as the group readies its upcoming Rock Hall nod with a Sunday show at Packard Music Hall in Warren.
Fans attending the show can expect to hear hits (“25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Color My World” and more) spanning nearly five decades.
The Vindicator talked to Scheff about the Rock Hall news and controversy, as well as the ongoing popularity of Chicago.
Q. First of all, congratulations on Chicago being inducted this April into the Rock Hall. Are you disappointed they’re honoring only the original members?
A. I love this question. The fact that the band wasn’t even on the ballot for 20 years was the subject of a great conversation that you hear a lot of other bands go through with this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing. At the end of the day, what it really represents, I believe, is a revolutionary period in music and people who forged new territory. So without question, the combination of the original seven guys is really what brought us to the dance.
Q. Does the entire ordeal leave you feeling bittersweet?
A. The day I found out it was like, “You’re in,” and everybody is like, “Congratulations.” And then all of a sudden it was only the original seven members and “Your name won’t be a part of the discussion.” For a split second, I was thinking that feels weird, but then I thought about it like this: At 22 years old, if you were told next year you’re going to be replacing one of the greatest singers (Peter Cetera), you’re going to sing one of the biggest hit singles the band has had with “Will You Still Love Me” and you’re going to have a career of over 30 years, you’d say, “Where do I sign up, right?” So it’s not a problem. It’s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate leadership to my kids and anybody else coming up that it’s about teamwork; it’s not about you.
Q. Even if you’re not receiving a Rock Hall statue, you’ll still have a great time, right?
A. Yeah, absolutely. It’s funny – I had no problem if they wanted the original guys to perform. I was looking forward to that. On the other hand, I know groups that have been together for a long time – Kiss had this issue – they wanted their existing members to play and the Rock Hall said, “No.” I know Deep Purple is going through an issue with this, too. So whoever is there, I don’t have any doubt that we’ll able to make this a great experience and event. I’m looking forward to it. Last I heard, we’re all going to be performing.
Q. Any idea how Chicago went from never appearing on a ballot to getting inducted into the Rock Hall?
A. There’s a lot of speculation. When I joined the band 30 years ago, they already had an amazing run in the ’70s, and Rolling Stone was never really embracing Chicago. So who knows why. It seemed like a personal thing to not even allow the group to be on the ballot. By the time it happened, we had a lot of people championing our cause.
Q. Finally, what is it about Chicago that continues to draw large audiences to concerts nearly 50 years after the band started?
A. I think it’s very simple. First and foremost, it’s the songs. Without the songs, no one is going to show up. The second piece of it is we are performing at a very high level. And third, it’s also the chemistry of the personalities. Sure, we disagree on things, but we get through it because it is truly a family. That’s the secret of Chicago.