Here’s sending out Happy Birthday wishes to founding Chicago singer/bassist Peter Cetera, who celebrated his 80th birthday on September 13. Cetera was the last of Chicago’s seven original members to join the group, coming on board to provide the horn-driven band with high-tenor vocals while holding down the bottom end.
The band originally was known as The Big Thing, but changed its name to Chicago Transit Authority before shortening it to Chicago after their debut album’s 1969 release.
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Simply put, Cetera was an incredible vocalist, whose strong, high voice was a major part of Chicago’s sound. Initially though, Peter did not contribute to the group’s songwriting. That began to change with the band’s 1970 sophomore album, and the first under the Chicago moniker, which included the Cetera-penned “Where Do We Go from Here?”
Eventually, Cetera blossomed as a songwriter. He was particularly adept at writing sensitive ballads, and many of his tunes become huge hits for the group. In the 1980s, Cetera began a fruitful songwriting partnership with producer/composer David Foster, which yielded several of Chicago most enduring and highest-charting hits of that decade.
[RELATED: 4 Songs You Didn’t Know Peter Cetera Wrote for Chicago]
Peter also launched a successful solo career in the 1980s. Internal tensions between Cetera and his Chicago bandmates led to his departure from the group in 1986. He had continued solo success for a number of years after that.
In 2016, Cetera was inducted the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Chicago. He continued to have a contentious relationship with his former bandmates, though, and didn’t attend the ceremony.
Cetera last performed live in 2018. In a 2019 podcast interview, he revealed that he considered himself retired.
In honor of Cetera’s milestone birthday, here are four outstanding songs from Chicago’s 1970s heyday that Peter sang and either wrote or co-wrote:
“Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” (1973)
Cetera co-wrote “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” with Chicago trombonist James Pankow and it was featured on the 1973 Chicago VI album. The song became the first co-written by Peter that reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 10 on the chart.
The song starts with melodic mid-tempo section, then shifts into a more rocking part, as Cetera sings a soaring chorus.
According to a comment by drummer Danny Seraphine in the 1996 publications The Billboard Book of Number One Albums, the song was inspired by Cetera feeling more positive after a rough period where his marriage had fallen apart.
“He’d gone through a real hard time and was starting to feel stronger again,” Seraphine noted.
“Wishing You Were Here” (1974)
“Wishing You Were Here” was an atmospheric love ballad that appeared on the 1974 album Chicago VII. The song, which was written solely by Cetera, peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100.
Chicago guitarist Terry Kath sings lead on the tune’s dreamy verses, and Cetera takes over on the upbeat choruses. Beach Boys members Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson contributed harmony vocals to the track.
Interestingly, Cetera played acoustic guitar on the song, while Kath played bass.
“If You Leave Me Now” (1976)
The Cetera-penned “If You Leave Me Now” was featured on the group’s 1976 album, Chicago X. The romantic breakup ballad became the group’s first No. 1 Hot 100 hit, spending two weeks at the top of the chart on October ’76. The song also became the band’s first and only chart-topping single in the U.K.
Chicago won its first Grammy thanks to “If You Leave Me Now,” receiving the award in the Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus category.
“Baby, What a Big Surprise” (1977)
“Baby, What a Big Surprise” appeared on the 1977 album Chicago XI. Written by Cetera, the cheery ballad song reached No. 4 on the Hot 100. The tune featured backing vocals by The Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson and Peter’s brother, Tim Cetera.
“Baby, What a Big Surprise” was the last Top-10 hit recorded by Chicago’s original lineup. In January 1978, Kath accidentally shot himself in the head and died at age 31.
Chicago didn’t score another Top-10 hit on the Hot 100 until 1982, when “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” co-written by Cetera and Foster, reached No. 1.
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