Walter Parazaider is best known for being a founding member and saxophone player for the rock band Chicago. Parazaider began playing the clarinet at the age of 9. As a teenager, his growing talent was groomed for a career as a professional orchestral musician, and he gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical clarinet performance from DePaul University. Inspired by the Beatles hit "Got To Get You Into My Life", Parazaider became enamored with the idea of creating a rock 'n' roll band with horns.
Parazaider performs the highly recognizable flute solo in the Chicago hit "Colour My World", which became a popular 'slow-dance' song at high school proms during the 1970s. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by DePaul University. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and was given the National Citation, being recognized as Signature Sinfonian along with fellow Chicago members and Sinfonians on August 26, 2009. A member of Chicago since its inception, Parazaider continues to tour extensively with the band.