Born: September 13, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The former voice of Chicago and a member of from 1967 to 1985.

As the lead singer and bassist of Chicago, Cetera wrote some of the biggest hits of the rock and pop music era including “If You Leave Me Now,” “Baby, What a Big Surprise,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Stay the Night,” “Feeling Stronger Every Day” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry.” Of their 17 albums, three went platinum, nearly all of them went gold and their first four appeared on the best-seller list all at one time. At one point “If You Leave Me Now” was the #1 song in both the U.S. and Britain.

After a successful run with the group, mutual musical differences led to a parting of the ways. Cetera then realized a life-long ambition and launched his career as a solo artist. He won immense popularity and critical praise with his solo album, Solitude/Solitaire, which has the unmistakeable sound and romantic intensity he has been polishing his entire career. The first single released from that album, “Glory of Love,” hit the #1 spot on the charts. The song was written as the theme for “The Karate Kid, Part II,” and garnered both a Grammy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination, and brought him the honor of performing at the Academy Awards ceremony. Another Grammy Award nominee and #1 hit from that album, “The Next Time I Fall” a duet with popular Christian singer Amy Grant, set the precedent for his surprising pairings with top-notch female vocalists.

The hits have continued on his subsequent albums.