Peter Cetera’s big breaking news is that he is willing to come on stage to perform just one song, 25 or 6 to 4, at Chicago’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction.
In an open letter to the surviving members of the band, Cetera seems to lay out a number of conditions for his appearance. First, he only wants to perform the rock classic. No mention of the other hits on which Peter sang such as If You Leave Me Now and Baby, What a Big Surprise or the rest of the Chicago songs where his voice was blended in the background.
Second, he wants that song to be the big finale of their appearance.
He finishes by saying that, if they agree to his “demands”, it could help heel old wounds.
Here is the text of the message:
January 6, 2016
Hello Everyone! I’ve just sent this mail to everyone involved. Hopefully it will answer all the questions concerning my participation in the Hall of Fame induction..Thanks
Hello Robert, Danny, Lee, Walter, and James. I’m sending this to you and Danny since yours are the only email addresses I have. Please forward this to everyone.
First off, congratulations all around on this long overdue honor. While our fans believe we should have been inducted years ago, they find it harder to believe that we haven’t even been nominated in all that time. Oh well, we are now!
All the credit goes to those who voted for us in overwhelming numbers during the recent poll. They alone deserve our thanks for finally making this happen.
I know we all look forward to speaking that evening and I’m sure we all wish that Terry was there to join us. That can’t happen unfortunately, but I have one thing that can.
As a finale, we can walk onstage together one last time as a group, I’ll strap on the bass, and we can do 25or6to4 in the key of E. I believe it would make for one fantastic Hall of Fame moment and satisfy those who have always wanted some sort of reunion.Along with your current members, I would also like us to invite past members Laudir de Oliveira, Donnie Dacus, Kenny Cetera, Chris Pinnick, and Bill Champlin to join us up there as well on the song. They’ve all contributed to the legacy of the group and I think this would be a fitting way to honor them.
In the end, this should go a long way towards healing old wounds and showing solidarity on that night. At least I hope so!
See you all in Brooklyn, Peter
Through this whole controversy, we’ve tried to be neutral in our reporting; however, this letter has pushed us to say that it is time for Cetera to acknowledge that he was a MEMBER of the band that is being inducted. He was not the “big star”. He was not bigger or better than Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walt Parazaider, Danny Seraphine or the late Terry Kath. He was not the only singer, songwriter or instrumentalist in the band. All seven of those men created the Chicago sound and are as responsible for their success in the 70’s and early-80’s.
Cetera needs to, for one night, simply become a part of Chicago again. To “demand” that he be singled out for the “big finale” or be treated any different from the other members is the height of arrogance.
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