HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) — The group Chicago will be at Ravinia in Highland Park this weekend.
Lee Loughnane is one of the founding members, and met his bandmates as a student at DePaul University.
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The artist, who helped create the bold, brass sound of the rock legends, said he’s thrilled to be back home for the holiday.
“I can’t wait. Ravinia is great because it takes me back to that time I had no money, and there was no career ahead. I just enjoyed listening to music, playing music,” Loughnane said.
He grew up in Elmwood Park.
“Oh yeah, it was a great place to be from, as they would say, right?” Loughnane said.
He also talked about how he got his start in music.
“My dad asked me if I wanted to play an instrument, and he happened to have a trumpet upstairs. So, I started playing the trumpet, and I haven’t looked back,” Loughnane said. “I think it was the mayor actually who told the Chicago Transit Authority to give us a hard time, tell us to stop using the name. They’d probably like to have us use the name again.”
He even talked about how the group got a bit tired of playing “If You Leave Me Now.”
“That was a No. 1 hit in every country in the world when it came out,” Loughnane said.
He talked about what it means for them to play Ravinia, as well.
“We love coming back to Chicago, the place of our birth. I can’t wait to have an Italian beef again,” Loughnane said. “And the legacy that we built is just phenomenal for us because I enjoy playing those tunes every night. I love it. Retire? Retire to what? I love doing this, and people love hearing what we’re doing. So, there’s no reason to stop.”
A 50th anniversary edition of the “Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits” album comes out this August.
See the band this Saturday night at Ravinia, with the soundtrack of summer from Chicago.
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