Peter Paul Cetera
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Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a
recording artist A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate a person who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters, ...
encompasses 17 studio albums with Chicago and eight solo studio albums. As a lead singer/vocal artist he has had four number one songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, two during his tenure with Chicago and two during his solo career. Of those four songs he wrote or co-wrote three. As a solo artist, Cetera has scored six
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
singles, including two that reached number one on ''Billboards Hot 100 chart in 1986, " Glory of Love" and "
The Next Time I Fall "The Next Time I Fall" is a song written by Bobby Caldwell and Paul Gordon and recorded by a duet of Peter Cetera and Amy Grant for Cetera's 1986 album '' Solitude/Solitaire''. It reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot 100. and Adul ...
". "Glory of Love", the theme song from the film ''
The Karate Kid Part II ''The Karate Kid Part II'' is a 1986 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the second installment in the '' Karate Kid'' franchise and the sequel to the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid' ...
'' (1986), was co-written by Cetera,
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
, and Diane Nini and was nominated for both an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
for best original song from a motion picture. In 1987, Cetera received an
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
award for "Glory of Love" in the category "Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures". His performance on "Glory of Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for best pop male vocal. That same year Cetera and
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
, who performed as a duet on "The Next Time I Fall", were nominated for a Grammy Award for best vocal performance by a pop duo or group. Besides Foster and Grant, Cetera has collaborated throughout his career with other recording artists from various genres of music. His songs have been featured in soundtracks for movies and television. With "
If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is a song by the American rock group Chicago, from their album ''Chicago X''. It was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 30, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation alb ...
", a song written and sung by Cetera on the group's tenth album, Chicago received its first
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
. It was also the group's first number one single. Chicago's second number one song, "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. It was written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster. It was released on May 17, 1982, as the lead single fro ...
", came from the album ''
Chicago 16 ''Chicago 16'' is the thirteenth studio album, sixteenth overall by the American rock music, rock band Chicago (band), Chicago, released on June 7, 1982. It is considered their "comeback" album because it was their first album to go platinum si ...
'' in 1982. It was co-written by Cetera and the group's producer,
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
and Cetera sang the lead vocal. In 2014, Chicago's first album, ''
Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of public transport, mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes, CTA bu ...
'' ( Columbia, 1969), featuring Cetera on bass and vocals, was inducted into the
Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
. Cetera was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Chicago in April 2016, and he,
Robert Lamm Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, ''Chic ...
, and
James Pankow James Carter Pankow (born August 20, 1947) is an American trombone player, songwriter, and brass instrument arranger who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his brass arrangements, and for being one-third of Chi ...
were among the 2017
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
inductees for their songwriting efforts as members of the group. Cetera, along with other members of Chicago, received a
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
in 2020.


Early life


Family

Former Chicago drummer
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
wrote, "Peter came from a strong Catholic blue-collar family...". Cetera was born to Peter Paul Cetera Sr. and Margareta (Bechtold) Cetera in the Morgan Park neighborhood, located on the far South Side of Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of six children and is of Polish and Hungarian descent. His father worked as a
machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who operates machine tools, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines. A competent machinist will generally have a strong mechan ...
. Cetera's siblings include two brothers, Tim Cetera (who recorded an album with
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
in the early 1970s) and Kenny Cetera. Both are listed as contributing musicians on some of the recordings Cetera made with Chicago and on some of his solo recordings.


Formal education

Cetera attended
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for Single-sex education, young men considering the Priesthood (Catholic Church), priesthood. It closed ...
for one year of high school because, he says, "my mother wanted me to be a priest." He transferred to Mendel Catholic Prep High School, graduated from there in 1962, and is listed among the "Notable Alumni".


Musical beginnings

Cetera says that his mother "was always singing around the house" and taught the children to sing in harmony while they were doing their household chores. His brother Kenny also remembers the family harmonizing together while growing up. Based on the positive responses he got, Cetera realized around the age of 11 or 12 that he had a talent for singing. Cetera's interest in music deepened when, at 11 years of age, his parents bought him an
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
instead of the guitar he wanted. He says he was "kind of a polka prodigy" and aged 12 won a local talent competition for his accordion-playing. However, his family missed his radio debut when the show was broadcast the following week, because they did not own an FM receiver. During high school, he started seriously thinking of pursuing a career as a singer. When he was 15, some older students from his high school took him to a club to see a band called the Rebel Rockers, which led to his purchasing an acoustic guitar at
Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a mail-order business and later a department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001; its common nickname was "Monkey Wards". ...
. He eventually took up the electric bass, and with some high school friends—a drummer, guitarist, and saxophone player—Cetera began playing the local dance circuit, dividing lead vocals with the guitarist. Cetera's early musical influences include
Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...
,
Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...
,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
,
Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with a wide variety of audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), "Baby Wha ...
, and
the Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...
. After he embarked on his music career,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
became a prominent influence in his early twenties.


Professional music career


History


The Exceptions

Cetera played in several groups in the Chicago area, including a popular local rock band named
the Exceptions The Exceptions were a German demo group formed in the 1980s. They were early pioneers writing demos for the Atari ST platform. History Usually known by the shortened form Tex they formed in the spring 1986 when Erik Simon and Udo Fischer were ...
, which toured the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
in the mid-1960s. Cetera said, "By the time I was 18 I was making more money than my dad." Among Cetera's first recording experiences were several singles and a five-song seven-inch EP titled ''Rock 'N' Roll Mass'' with the Exceptions. One of those recorded songs, "Come On Home", also gave Cetera his first songwriting credit. (
Kal David David Raskin (June 15, 1943 – August 16, 2022), who performed as Kal David, was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, whose 50-year musical career in Illinois, New York, and California extended through various phases, including ...
and
Marty Grebb Martin Joseph Grebb (September 2, 1945 – January 1, 2020) was an American keyboardist, guitarist, and saxophonist. A member of The Buckinghams in the late 1960s, Grebb was also a record producer and an arranger, who worked with musicians inc ...
also are credited on the song.) Adding to his early recording experience, Cetera played electric bass on Chicago folk singer and songwriter Dick Campbell's album ''Dick Campbell Plays Where It's At'', released in 1966 on Mercury Records. When the Exceptions decided to move toward a more psychedelic sound, Cetera left; the band changed its name to
Aorta The aorta ( ; : aortas or aortae) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the Ventricle (heart), left ventricle of the heart, branching upwards immediately after, and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits at ...
, and became one of the first psychedelic groups on a major label.


Tenure in Chicago

In December 1967, Cetera arrived early for a show to watch a band called the Big Thing. Impressed by their use of a
horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...
combined with rock and roll, Cetera left the Exceptions to join the Big Thing within two weeks. The Big Thing, which soon changed its name to the Chicago Transit Authority (and eventually shortened it to
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
), released its self-titled debut album ''
Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of public transport, mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes, CTA bu ...
'' on
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in 1969. Cetera shared lead vocals on three of the eleven songs on the album: "Questions 67 & 68", "I'm a Man", and "Someday", his
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
voice complementing the
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
voices of the two other lead singers in the group, keyboardist
Robert Lamm Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, ''Chic ...
and guitarist
Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...
. The follow-up album, ''
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
'', vaulted the band to popular status throughout the world. The song "
25 or 6 to 4 "25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the band Chicago. It was recorded in August 1969 for their second album, ''Chicago'', with Peter Cetera on lead vocals, and released as a single in ...
" was the first major hit single with Cetera singing lead vocals. ''Chicago'' is also notable for featuring Cetera's first songwriting effort with the group, " Where Do We Go From Here?" As the 1970s progressed, Cetera became a more prolific songwriter for the group, contributing the songs "
Wishing You Were Here "Wishing You Were Here" is a song written by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago (band), Chicago and recorded for their album ''Chicago VII'' (1974), with lead vocals by Terry Kath (uncredited on the original album package), while Cetera sang the ...
" and "Happy Man" to the 1974 album ''
Chicago VII ''Chicago VII'' is the sixth studio album by American Rock music, rock band Chicago (band), Chicago. It was released on March 11, 1974 by Columbia Records. It is notable for being their first double album of new material since 1971's ''Chicago ...
''. "Wishing You Were Here" featured vocals by members of
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
, and reached number eleven on the charts. "Happy Man" was, according to Chicago producer James Guercio, "a Number 1 record that was never released as a single." Cetera's biggest singing and songwriting accomplishment with Chicago came in 1976 with the ballad "
If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is a song by the American rock group Chicago, from their album ''Chicago X''. It was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 30, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation alb ...
", from ''
Chicago X ''Chicago X'' (affectionately called "the Chocolate Album" by fans) is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was recorded at Caribou Ranch and it was released by Columbia Records on June 14, 1976. The album made it to nu ...
''. It was the group's first number one single in the United States, also reaching number one on charts worldwide and certified Gold and Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The song won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Chicago, the group's only such award to date, for the 1976 Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, at the
19th Annual Grammy Awards The 19th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 19, 1977, and were broadcast live on American television (CBS). It was the seventh and final year Andy Williams hosted the telecast. The ceremony recognized accomplishments by musicians from th ...
, held on February 19, 1977. According to William James Ruhlmann, biographer of the group, "the success of 'If You Leave Me Now' overshadowed the album from which it came, and also consolidated what by now seemed a definitely stated preference on the part of radio, if not Chicago's audience in general, for lush ballads sung by Peter Cetera over any other style the band might care to put forward." Another success in the same vein followed: Cetera's 1977 composition " Baby, What a Big Surprise", from ''
Chicago XI ''Chicago XI'' is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on September 12, 1977, through Columbia Records. It was both the last to feature guitarist and vocalist Terry Kath prior to his death in a gun accident j ...
''. The song featured him on lead vocals and made it to number four on the record charts. During this time Cetera also worked with other recording artists. He, along with a group of other well-known musicians, appeared on the 1976 self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Angelo. In 1977 Cetera provided background vocals on ''Beached'', an album by Ricci Martin (son of
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
), produced by Ricci Martin's brother-in-law,
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
of the
Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...
. Cetera's bandmates
James Pankow James Carter Pankow (born August 20, 1947) is an American trombone player, songwriter, and brass instrument arranger who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his brass arrangements, and for being one-third of Chi ...
,
Walter Parazaider Walter Parazaider (born March 14, 1945) is an American woodwind musician who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/woodwind section alongside Lee Loughnane and James Pankow. Para ...
, and
Lee Loughnane Lee David Loughnane (pronounced LOCK-nain; born October 21, 1946) is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/wo ...
also performed on the album. He is credited as one of the background vocalists on
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
's single " My Life", released in 1978, from the album '' 52nd Street''. The following year he collaborated with
Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and early drummer of the highly successful duo the Carpenters, formed with her older brother Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard. Wi ...
on her self-titled solo album, providing backing vocals for a song that he had written, "Making Love in the Afternoon". That album was not released until 1996 by A&M Records. By the end of the 1970s, with the rise of
disco music Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightlife, particularly in African-American, Italian-American, Gay and Latino communities. Its sound features four-on-the-floor ...
, Chicago's popularity declined, culminating in the release of the band's poorest-selling album to that point, ''
Chicago XIV ''Chicago XIV'' is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on July 21, 1980. Recorded at a time of waning interest in the band, ''Chicago XIV'' remains one of Chicago's poorest-selling albums, failing to reach Gold certi ...
'', which peaked at number 71 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart in 1980.
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
subsequently bought out the remainder of Chicago's contract. In 1981, Cetera released his first solo album, ''
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
'', on
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, after personally buying the rights from his previous contract with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, who would not release the project. The album peaked at number 143 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was considered a commercial failure. Cetera blamed Warner Bros., claiming that the company refused to promote him as a solo artist out of fear that he would leave Chicago, who had only recently signed with the label. Former bandmate
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
agrees with Cetera on this point, and says that the album "... sank like a stone due to lack of record company support. Warner Brothers didn't want it to interfere with their plans for Chicago." In 1982,
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
was brought in as producer and the resulting group effort was ''
Chicago 16 ''Chicago 16'' is the thirteenth studio album, sixteenth overall by the American rock music, rock band Chicago (band), Chicago, released on June 7, 1982. It is considered their "comeback" album because it was their first album to go platinum si ...
''. The album, which peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, represented a major comeback for Chicago, and leading the way was the hit single co-written by Cetera and Foster and featuring Cetera on lead vocals, "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. It was written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster. It was released on May 17, 1982, as the lead single fro ...
". It went to number one on the charts, was certified Gold by the RIAA in September of that year, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It was also featured in the movie ''
Summer Lovers ''Summer Lovers'' is a 1982 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah, and Valerie Quennessen. It was filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece. The or ...
'', starring
Daryl Hannah Daryl Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is an American actress and environmental activist. She made her film debut in Brian De Palma's supernatural horror film ''The Fury (1978 film), The Fury'' (1978). She has starred in various films across the ...
. The second single, "
Love Me Tomorrow "Love Me Tomorrow" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their album ''Chicago 16'' (1982), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The second single released from the album, it reached No. 22 on the U ...
", also co-written with Foster and sung by Cetera, reached number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The third single, "What You're Missing", was yet again sung by Cetera. Cetera, a member of the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP), won ASCAP Pop Music Awards in the category, Most Performed Songs, for both "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow", and was honored by ASCAP as a multiple songwriter winner. In 1983, he took a break from his duties as Chicago frontman to add backing vocals on
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...
's final U.S. Top 40 hit, "
Hold Me 'Til the Mornin' Comes "Hold Me 'Til the Morning Comes" is a 1983 song by Paul Anka, featuring backing vocals by then Chicago singer Peter Cetera. It was written by Anka with David Foster, and produced by Denny Diante. It was released as the first single from Anka's 19 ...
", which debuted in the summer of that year. When ''
Chicago 17 ''Chicago 17'' is the fourteenth studio album, seventeenth overall by American rock band Chicago, released on May 14, 1984. It was the group's second release for Full Moon/Warner Bros. Records, their second album to be produced by David Foster ...
'' was released in 1984, it became the veteran band's most successful album in their history, eventually selling over six million copies in the United States alone. All four singles released from the album were sung by Cetera, including three which he co-wrote, and all of them charted in the top 20: " Stay the Night" (number 16), " Hard Habit to Break" (number 3), "
You're the Inspiration "You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album '' Chicago 17'' (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, i ...
" (number 3), and " Along Comes a Woman" (number 14). "Hard Habit to Break", written by
Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an Australian songwriter and record producer. He has produced a number of international hit songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical (Olivia Newton-John song), Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words ...
and John Lewis Parker, brought three Grammy nominations for Cetera: two nominations as a member of Chicago for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
and
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as t ...
; and outside the group, as a co-nominee with David Foster for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, Cetera's first, and to date only, nomination for vocal arrangement. Cetera won ASCAP honors for most-performed songs for "You're the Inspiration". With the advent of the music video and the growing popularity of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, Cetera became the 'face' and public leader of the longtime-faceless band that was Chicago.Milward, John. "Peter Cetera: The glory of going solo", ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'', August 8, 1986.


Departure from Chicago

With his newfound popularity, Cetera was interested in recording another solo album. In addition, he had stated his lack of interest for the extensive touring schedule of the band, especially to promote ''
Chicago 17 ''Chicago 17'' is the fourteenth studio album, seventeenth overall by American rock band Chicago, released on May 14, 1984. It was the group's second release for Full Moon/Warner Bros. Records, their second album to be produced by David Foster ...
''. When the 17 Tour concluded in May 1985, Chicago's management, along with several members of the band, expressed a desire to book another tour for that summer and start working on the group's next album. The two sides could not resolve their differences and Cetera left the band in July 1985; he was replaced by
Jason Scheff Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter who was a frontman for the American rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1985 to 2016. Replacing former lead vocalist Peter Cetera, Scheff was the longe ...
as both bassist and lead singer. Retrospectively Cetera said he wanted an arrangement similar to the one that
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
and
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
had at the time, with Collins being a member and touring with Genesis, while also doing some solo work at the same time, and his former bandmate
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
agreed that's what the group should have done. In a 1987 interview, Cetera said about his split from the group, "It wasn't amicable, but it wasn't the worst. It's nothing that me having a hit and them having a hit won't make better."Dougherty, Steve; Gold, Todd (February 2, 1987)
"Glory of Love Singer Peter Cetera Left Chicago (the Band) for Idaho (the State) and Solo Success"
. ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
''. pp. 60–62. Retrieved March 20, 2010.


Solo career


= mid-1980s

= After leaving Chicago, Cetera had immediate success as a solo artist. His first single, " Glory of Love", was used as the theme song for the film ''
The Karate Kid Part II ''The Karate Kid Part II'' is a 1986 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the second installment in the '' Karate Kid'' franchise and the sequel to the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid' ...
''. Co-written by Cetera, David Foster, and Diane Nini, Cetera has said it was written originally for the film, ''
Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film starring, written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. The film is the sequel to '' Rocky III'' (1982) and the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt You ...
''. It was a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
charts in the US in 1986,, quote=Costas Zougris of Athens notes that Peter Cetera has joined the lengthening list of artists who have topped the Hot 100 solo, in duet, and in a group. He made it on his own with "Glory of Love", with Amy Grant on "The Next Time I Fall", and twice with Chicago. Others who have done this: Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Diana Ross, Phil Collins, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. and achieved similar success throughout the world. It went on to win an
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
Award for Cetera for Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures and a BMI Film & TV Award for David Foster for Most Performed Song from a Film. It was also nominated for both an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
in the category of Best Original Song, as well as a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male Artist. He performed a shortened version of the song live at the
59th Academy Awards The 59th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 30, 1987, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During ...
ceremony. In two interviews Cetera gave in 1987, he discussed people's confusion about "Glory of Love", and said they thought initially that it was a new song by Chicago. By February of that year, however, he had achieved enough recognition as a solo performer to win the American Video Award for "best new artist". "Glory of Love" was included on Cetera's second solo album, '' Solitude/Solitaire'', released in 1986. The album was also successful, with more than one million copies sold, and has been certified Gold and Platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. It produced another number one hit single on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, "
The Next Time I Fall "The Next Time I Fall" is a song written by Bobby Caldwell and Paul Gordon and recorded by a duet of Peter Cetera and Amy Grant for Cetera's 1986 album '' Solitude/Solitaire''. It reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot 100. and Adul ...
", a duet with
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
. "The Next Time I Fall" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. ''Solitude/Solitaire'', which made it to number twenty-three on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, outsold '' Chicago 18'', the first
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
album without him, which peaked at number thirty-five. Cetera was listed at number nine on ''Billboard'''s Top Pop Singles Artists—Male of 1986. In 1988, he teamed up with producer
Patrick Leonard Patrick Ray Leonard (born March 14, 1956) is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums '' True Blue'' (1986), '' Who ...
and released his third solo album, ''
One More Story ''One More Story'' (1988) is the third solo album for music artist Peter Cetera and his second album after leaving the group Chicago. The album was co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Peter Cetera, and contains an appearance by Leonard's most famo ...
''. Cetera and Leonard share writing credits on eight of the ten songs on the album, including the title song and the song "
One Good Woman "One Good Woman" is a song by Peter Cetera, formerly the lead singer of the rock band Chicago. Cetera co-wrote and co-produced the track with Patrick Leonard, and the song was included on Cetera's third studio album, ''One More Story'' (1988). Ba ...
", which became a number four hit single. Leonard also played piano and synthesizers on the album. The album features many well-known music artists, such as Richard Sterban of
the Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The classic and most well-known lineup of the group, which performed together for over 40 years, consisted of William Lee Golden (baritone), Duane Allen (lead), Richard Sterban (bass), and Joe ...
on backup vocals;
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
on guitar and backup vocals on the song "Save Me";
David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...
of
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
on guitar on the songs "Body Language" and "You Never Listen to Me"; and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
, who was working with Leonard on her new album at the time, in cameo as 'Lulu Smith' on vocals on the song "Scheherazade". "Save Me", co-written by Cetera and
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
, was the original opening theme music for the TV show ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...
''. "You Never Listen to Me" plays during the opening scene of the ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'' episode "Redemption in Blood: Part 2", though it is not credited. In 1989, Cetera recorded another duet, this time with
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
, called " After All", which was included on the soundtrack of the movie '' Chances Are'', as well as on Cher's ''Heart of Stone'' album. The song was a hit, reaching number six on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and receiving a Gold certification by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. In a 2014 article in ''Billboard'', writer Keith Caulfield listed "After All" as Cher's ninth-biggest ''Billboard'' hit.


= 1990s

= In 1990, a song by Cetera titled "No Explanation" was featured in the soundtrack for the popular film ''
Pretty Woman ''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and written by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), ...
''. In 1991 Cetera co-wrote (with David Foster and Linda Thompson) and sang on "
Voices That Care "Voices That Care" is a 1991 song written by David Foster, Linda Thompson, and Peter Cetera and recorded by a supergroup of popular musicians, entertainers and athletes. The song was released as a single on March 13, 1991 by Giant Records. Th ...
", a song and supporting documentary music video intended to help boost the morale of American troops involved in Operation Desert Storm, as well as to support the International Red Cross organization. The single reached number eleven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number six on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart. In 1992, Cetera's final album on
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, ''
World Falling Down ''World Falling Down'' is the fourth solo album by American singer-songwriter Peter Cetera, released in July 1992, and his third album since leaving the group Chicago. Background Released four years after his previous album, ''One More Story'', ...
'', was released. It featured the Adult Contemporary number one hit "
Restless Heart Restless Heart was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
", as well as two other successful singles: "Even a Fool Can See", and another duet, this time with
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...
, "Feels Like Heaven". The songs made it to number three and number five on the Adult Contemporary chart respectively. "Restless Heart" again won ASCAP honors for Cetera in the category Most-Performed Songs. According to writer Melinda Newman, ''World Falling Down'' "lyrically describes the crumbling of his marriage." In 1995, Cetera released his first album for River North Records, '' One Clear Voice'', which featured the single "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight", a duet with actress
Crystal Bernard Crystal Lynn BernardLeszczak, Bob (2015). From Small Screen to Vinyl: A Guide to Television Stars Who Made Record, 1950–2000'. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 21. (born September 30, 1961) is a retired American singer-songwriter and ...
, which peaked at number twenty-three on the Adult Contemporary chart, and number eighty-six on the Hot 100 chart. Following the release of the album, Cetera launched his first solo tour—accompanied by his River North labelmate, country singer
Ronna Reeves Ronna Renee Reeves (born September 21, 1966) is an American country music singer. Between 1990 and 1998, she released five studio albums, including three on Mercury Records; she has also charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. She ...
—lasting into 1996. The tour had been delayed while Cetera recuperated from a motorcycle accident. 1997 brought '' You're the Inspiration: A Collection'', a collection of all his duets from over the years, along with three re-recorded songs he had written while a member of Chicago—"
If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is a song by the American rock group Chicago, from their album ''Chicago X''. It was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 30, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation alb ...
", "
You're the Inspiration "You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album '' Chicago 17'' (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, i ...
", and " Baby, What a Big Surprise"—plus two brand-new recordings, "Do You Love Me That Much" and "She Doesn't Need Me Anymore". In a 1997 interview, Cetera said he had to remake the three Chicago songs because Chicago band members refused to release the master recordings for River North Records to use for this album. Although Cetera was at first reluctant to revisit his Chicago material, he soon had a change of heart and said, "I viewed them as what I would do with the songs if they were new today." Additionally, this was the first of Cetera's solo albums to feature " After All", his 1989 duet with
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
from the soundtrack of the movie '' Chances Are''. Also in the 1990s, Cetera recorded covers of two of his songs from his Chicago days with the R&B vocal group Az Yet. In 1996, Cetera performed a back-up vocal on Az Yet's single of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" from ''Chicago 16'', titled "Az Yet – Hard to Say I'm Sorry (Featuring Peter Cetera)." The song was nominated, once again, for a Grammy Award, this time in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. In 1997, Az Yet performed vocals with Cetera on his single of "You're the Inspiration", from ''Chicago 17'', titled "'You're the Inspiration' – Peter Cetera featuring Az Yet", and they appeared together in a music video featuring the song.


= 2000s

= 2001 saw the release of '' Another Perfect World''. In 2002, Cetera performed a medley of four of his songs at the Concert for World
Children's Day Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honour of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Sin ...
, backed by
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
and an orchestra at
Arie Crown Theater The Arie Crown Theater is an entertainment venue named after Lithuanian Americans, Lithuanian immigrant Arie Crown, who was the father of Henry Crown, the American industrialist and philanthropist, and situated on Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. It op ...
in Chicago. The concert aired on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
and was released in DVD format. This led to his subsequent appearance, in October 2003, with the Chicago Pops Orchestra on the PBS music program ''
Soundstage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
'', which was broadcast throughout the U.S.
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
appeared on the program as a special guest. The program was released on DVD. From 2003 until summer 2007, Cetera performed a limited number of concerts each year with a 40-piece orchestra, playing re-arrangements of songs from throughout his career, including several from his tenure as a member of Chicago. In 2004, Cetera released a collection of holiday classics, '' You Just Gotta Love Christmas''. The track "
Deck the Halls "Deck the Halls" is a traditional Christmas carol. The melody is Welsh, dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, " Nos Galan", while the English lyrics, written by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant, date to 1862. ...
" features
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
on vocals with Cetera. The album also features background and duet vocals by his elder daughter, Claire. His younger daughter, Senna, contributed to the CD's artwork. He appeared in the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
that year, which was televised nationally, shortly after the release of the album. In December 2007, Cetera embarked on the '' You Just Gotta Love Christmas'' tour of the United States. It marked a return to a traditional rock band show, his first since 1996, featuring songs from his 2004 Christmas album and from throughout his career. He sang live with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra for ''Smucker's Presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds'', an event featuring world-class ice skaters performing to the music of Peter Cetera. The show was taped on October 18, 2008, in
Youngstown Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
, Ohio, and televised nationally by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
on December 25, 2008.


= 2010s

= Cetera appeared as himself in the 2010
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...
and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
program ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. It premiered on February 11, 2007 and originally ...
'', Season 5, Episode 9, "Greene Machine", which also featured the actor
Ted Danson Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe A ...
. In it, Cetera sings "Little Danson Man". Cetera formed a new band called the Bad Daddies – a seven-piece electric rock band which performed original material and covers of popular songs, as well as material from Chicago and Cetera's solo career. Cetera played bass on some songs during the shows. In 2017, Cetera was a co-headliner for
Night of the Proms Night of the Proms is a series of concerts held annually in Belgium (since 1985), the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. Regularly there are also shows in France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, the United States and Sweden. The c ...
in Germany and Luxembourg, his first time performing in Germany in 35 years. In autumn 2018 Cetera returned to Europe. In October and November, he performed in London, Dublin, Randers (Denmark), Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin. Cetera was scheduled to perform in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on November 9, but according to a September 4, 2018 post on the WeRock.bg website, the show was cancelled.


Prospect of a reunion with Chicago

During interviews, Cetera has often been asked about the prospect of a reunion with Chicago. While Cetera has compared his departure from the band to the divorce of a married couple, and thus far has declined to perform with the band despite attractive financial offers, he has also said "never say never." In December 2015, it was announced that the seven original members of Chicago – Cetera,
Robert Lamm Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, ''Chic ...
,
Lee Loughnane Lee David Loughnane (pronounced LOCK-nain; born October 21, 1946) is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/wo ...
,
Walter Parazaider Walter Parazaider (born March 14, 1945) is an American woodwind musician who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/woodwind section alongside Lee Loughnane and James Pankow. Para ...
,
James Pankow James Carter Pankow (born August 20, 1947) is an American trombone player, songwriter, and brass instrument arranger who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his brass arrangements, and for being one-third of Chi ...
,
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
, and
Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...
– were to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the induction ceremony was set for April 8, 2016, at the Barclays Center in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York. Initially Cetera and current band members entertained the possibility of performing together for the induction ceremony. Ultimately, Cetera decided against it. He announced his decision via two posts to his web site, dated February 8 and February 25, 2016, and in those posts expressed his frustration with trying to work out the performance details with band members and show producers. Cetera did not attend the ceremony even for the purpose of accepting his award. Since then there have been indications that a reunion between him and Chicago is unlikely ever to happen. Cetera declined to be interviewed for the 2017 documentary ''Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago''. He did, however, appear in the documentary ''The Terry Kath Experience'', along with the other surviving members of the original Chicago line-up and producer James William Guercio.


Retirement

In a podcast interview with Mark Pattison from November 2019, Cetera said he was "done." He explained that he had long wanted to quit performing before he lost his voice, and also cited the amount of travel involved in touring. He continued that he now had to "learn how to be an out-of-work singer." His last live performance was November 23, 2018, for the opening of the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho.


Musicianship


Vocal range, singing style and approach to singing

Cetera's tenor voice has been labeled "distinctive" and "unmistakable" by music reviewers. In 2018 on the
AXS TV AXS TV () is an American cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musi ...
show ''Top 10 Revealed'', he was rated number nine of the show's top ten "high note hitters". Cetera's trademark singing style developed as a result of his having to sing for a period of time with a wired-shut jaw after getting into a brawl at a
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
game in 1969. In 2009 an interviewer noted that Cetera had been around for four decades, called him "one of the most enduring singers around", and asked him how he takes care of his voice. Cetera responded: "'I don't smoke and I don't drink. I try to exercise as much as I can. I do warm-up vocal exercises regularly.'" For Cetera, recording the vocals with members of
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
for "
Wishing You Were Here "Wishing You Were Here" is a song written by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago (band), Chicago and recorded for their album ''Chicago VII'' (1974), with lead vocals by Terry Kath (uncredited on the original album package), while Cetera sang the ...
" from ''
Chicago VII ''Chicago VII'' is the sixth studio album by American Rock music, rock band Chicago (band), Chicago. It was released on March 11, 1974 by Columbia Records. It is notable for being their first double album of new material since 1971's ''Chicago ...
'' was satisfying on a personal level, according to William James Ruhlmann. He writes that Cetera said, "There's two people that I always wanted to be, and that was a
Beatle The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the most influential band in Western popular ...
or a Beach Boy. …I got to do the background harmonies – myself and
Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
,
Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their drummer and the middle brother of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Carl Wilson as well as ...
and
Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist, background vocalist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as number-one hit ...
. For a night, I was a Beach Boy." Cetera had the opportunity, of sorts, to be both a Beatle and a Beach Boy. During a radio interview in 2015, he recalled as one of the highlights of his life a joint concert of Chicago and the Beach Boys when the two groups, who were performing on stage together, were joined by former Beatles drummer
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
for a rendition of the Beatles song "
Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wi ...
".


Recognition, popularity and influence as singer

Cetera's former Chicago bandmates had high regard for his voice and singing ability. In his autobiographical book, ''Street Player: My Chicago Story'', Danny Seraphine, the original drummer for the band Chicago, recollects that when the group was being formed in the city of Chicago in the 1960s it needed someone who could sing in the high range. Seraphine says Cetera was, at that time, "the best singer in the city". In a 1992 interview, seven years after Cetera had left the group, original band member and woodwinds player Walter Parazaider called Cetera "one of the finest singers in the world" and rated Cetera among his choice of top five singers. In a 2009 interview, former Chicago member
Bill Champlin William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1 ...
said of Cetera, "I think he's one of the major voices of our time," and that he believed Cetera was one of "maybe the two best tenors on the Earth." In a 2016 documentary about the history of the group, original band member and keyboard player Robert Lamm says, "There were and are a lot of tenor voices in rock and none of them sound like Cetera." In a 2022 interview, Lamm again lauded Cetera as having been an "amazing vocalist" when he was with Chicago. The music recording industry has recognized Cetera for his singing with Grammy nominations. Five songs on which Cetera sang lead or shared lead vocals were nominated in pop vocal performance categories – "
If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is a song by the American rock group Chicago, from their album ''Chicago X''. It was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 30, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation alb ...
", "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. It was written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster. It was released on May 17, 1982, as the lead single fro ...
", " Hard Habit to Break", " Glory of Love", and "
The Next Time I Fall "The Next Time I Fall" is a song written by Bobby Caldwell and Paul Gordon and recorded by a duet of Peter Cetera and Amy Grant for Cetera's 1986 album '' Solitude/Solitaire''. It reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot 100. and Adul ...
", with "If You Leave Me Now" winning its category. Cetera’s popularity as a singer in the United States is indicated by the chart successes of songs featuring him on lead vocals. Cetera sang lead vocal on Chicago’s first two number one songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, “If You Leave Me Now” in 1975, and “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” in 1982. In 1986 he had two more number one songs, “Glory of Love” and “Next Time I Fall”, both from his first solo album after leaving the group, '' Solitude/Solitaire''.  He sang lead vocal or shared lead vocal on eleven of Chicago’s sixteen songs that made it to the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart during the years he was a band member. Cetera  has often  been dubbed “the voice of Chicago” by writers. Although Cetera has not gotten a song on the ''Billboard'' charts since the 1990s, songs he performed as a member of Chicago and as a solo act continue to pop up in the soundtracks of movies, television programs and commercials and live stage plays. Cetera's composition from the 1976 album ''
Chicago X ''Chicago X'' (affectionately called "the Chocolate Album" by fans) is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was recorded at Caribou Ranch and it was released by Columbia Records on June 14, 1976. The album made it to nu ...
'', "If You Leave Me Now", has appeared in the movies ''
Three Kings In Christianity, the Biblical Magi ( or ; singular: ), also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi, are distinguished foreigners who visit Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in homage to hi ...
'' (1999), ''
Shaun of the Dead ''Shaun of the Dead'' is a 2004 zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Shaun, a downtrodden London salesman who is caught alongside his loved ones in a zombie apocalypse. It also star ...
'' (2004), '' A Lot like Love'' (2005), ''
Happy Feet ''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 animated jukebox musical comedy film directed and produced by George Miller and written by Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris and Warren Coleman. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hug ...
'' (2006) and ''
Daddy's Home 2 ''Daddy's Home 2'' (titled on screen as ''Daddy's Home Two'') is a 2017 American Christmas buddy comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. A sequel to '' Daddy's Home'' (2015), it stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahl ...
'' (2017); the television series ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
'' and ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
''; and a television commercial that aired during the 2000
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. Robert Lamm's song from the 1970 album ''
Chicago II ''Chicago'' (retroactively known as ''Chicago II'') is the second studio album by the American rock band Chicago, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Like their debut album, ''Chicago Transit Authority'' (1969), it is a double album ...
'', "
25 or 6 to 4 "25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the band Chicago. It was recorded in August 1969 for their second album, ''Chicago'', with Peter Cetera on lead vocals, and released as a single in ...
", which was sung by Cetera, was used in the 2017 film ''
I, Tonya ''I, Tonya'' is a 2017 American biographical sports film directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Steven Rogers. It follows the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 assault on her rival Nan ...
'', and on the animated TV series ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
''. Cetera's number one 1986 song as a solo performer, "Glory of Love", was performed as the finale in the stage show ''Riot'', in 2018 in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, and was used in a 2019 episode of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
television series '' Good Girls''. Chicago's 1984 version of the Cetera/Foster song "
You're the Inspiration "You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album '' Chicago 17'' (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, i ...
", which is sung by Cetera, was used for the soundtracks of the movies '' A Hologram for the King'' and ''
Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
'' (both 2016); a 2017 Super Bowl commercial; and the television series ''
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', also known colloquially simply as ''Always Sunny'', is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and co-developed by Glenn Howerton for FX (TV channel), FX. It premiered on August 4, 2005, and stars Charl ...
'' and ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...
''. Cetera's music and name have been featured on several episodes of the American television situation comedy series '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–2023), set in the 1980s. In 2010, not only was Cetera's music heard during a television commercial for
Heineken Premium Light Heineken Light (labelled as ''Heineken 3'' in Australia) is a light beer brewed by Heineken International, Heineken for the United States market. It was introduced in 2005. Heineken light reportedly has: 90 calories per 12 oz. bottle and 6.8&nb ...
beer but Cetera himself was the subject of discussion. A young man at an assisted-living home holds up a copy of the ''
World Falling Down ''World Falling Down'' is the fourth solo album by American singer-songwriter Peter Cetera, released in July 1992, and his third album since leaving the group Chicago. Background Released four years after his previous album, ''One More Story'', ...
'' LP cover and asks one of the residents why he likes Cetera. The older resident replies that he does not like Cetera but the ladies do "and if you love the ladies, by default, you love Cetera." Cetera's song "
Restless Heart Restless Heart was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
" from the ''World Falling Down'' album is heard playing in the background. In 2022 "Restless Heart", a love song, was used in the Hulu film, ''Fresh,'' as a counterpoint to the horror being depicted in the scene. Two songs sung by Cetera, "Glory of Love", and his duet with Cher, "After All", made it on to
Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hesiod related it, each god cooperated by giving her unique gifts. Her other name—inscribed against her figure on a white-ground '' ky ...
's list of "Most-Thumbed Movie Songs Playlist" in 2020. Cetera has been given the honor of singing at professional sporting events, including at least one time singing the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at a
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
game, the fourth in the series between the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
and the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
in 1988 in
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
; and at least three times for home team
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, where he was guest conductor for "
Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 waltz song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game before writing the song. The song' ...
" during the
seventh-inning stretch In baseball in the United States and Canada, the seventh-inning stretch (also known as the Lucky 7 in Japan and South Korea) is a long-standing tradition that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of a game. Fans generally stand up ...
in 2003, 2007 and 2009 – a duty of some importance according to Jim Oboikowitch, Cubs manager for game and event production, as quoted by Adam McCalvy: "Whenever you come to Wrigley Field, you have two questions ...Who is the starting pitcher? And who is singing the seventh-inning stretch?"
Radio personality A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personali ...
Doc Reno wrote in 2024, "Peter Cetera may actually be the king of love songs." The Chicago song, "Hard Habit to Break", in Reno's opinion, "best exemplifies Cetera's pure vocal star power... better than any of his other power ballads."


Bass equipment and playing style

Cetera, a mainly self-taught musician who started playing bass guitar during his teenage years, has said he's not the most "knowledgeable" bass player, that he doesn't "really" read music, and that his knowledge of chords " oesn'tgo much past 'Is it major or minor? He cites
James Jamerson James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases un ...
,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and
Andy Fraser Andrew McIan Fraser (3 July 1952 – 16 March 2015) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist and co-composer for the rock band Free, which he helped found in 1968 when he was 15. He also founded the rock band Sharks af ...
among his bass influences and says that he was aware of
John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band the Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band ...
and
Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of Rock music, rock band Cream (band), Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a ...
. Writing for ''Bass Player'' magazine, Stevie Glasgow says, "Peter Cetera's bass (and vocals) were key to Chicago's sound. His tasty 4-string style was forged through a deep knowledge of early rock & roll and R&B, bolstered by a keen melodic sense, astute rhythmic prowess, and a dexterous technique capable of issuing graded nuance and fervent ''oomph'' in equal measure." Jeff Coffey gained a new respect for Cetera's bass lines when he took over as Chicago's bass player (2016–2018). Cetera's first bass guitar was a Danelectro Shorthorn. He switched to a
Höfner 500/1 The Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass (sometimes nicknamed the "Beatle Bass") is a model of electric bass manufactured by Höfner under several varieties. It was introduced in 1955 and gained fame during the 1960s as the primary bass used by Paul McCartne ...
to use with the Exceptions. When the Höfner sound was deemed not "bassy or ballsy" enough for Chicago, he replaced it with a 1963
Fender Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass (or "P-Bass") is a model of bass guitar, electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrument ...
. The Fender became his favorite and it was his usual choice of instrument throughout his 17-year tenure with the band. Other basses that Cetera has played include the
Fender Jazz Bass The Fender Jazz Bass (often shortened to "J-Bass") is the second model of Bass guitar, electric bass guitar created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Fender Precision Bass, Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midra ...
(in both fretted and fretless versions), Gibson EB-3, Gibson Ripper,
Rickenbacker 4001 The Rickenbacker 4001 is an bass guitar, electric bass that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a two-Pickup (music technology), pickup "deluxe" version of their first production bass, the single-pickup model 4000. This design, created by Roger ...
,
Steinberger Steinberger is a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The name "Steinberger" can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that originally p ...
,
Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki was one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United Stat ...
,
Music Man StingRay The Music Man StingRay is an electric bass originally made by Music Man. Introduced in 1976, the StingRay was co-designed by Leo Fender and followed a similar format to his namesake company's influential Precision Bass. The more notable des ...
and Spector models. His amplification has varied between
Ampeg Ampeg ("amplified peg") is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guit ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
, Kustom,
Acoustic Control Corporation Acoustic Control Corporation was a manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, founded by Steve Marks (with the help of his father) and based in Van Nuys, California. Its original location was a shack on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. ...
,
Phase Linear Phase Linear was an audio equipment manufacturer founded by Bob Carver and Steve Johnston in 1970. While primarily known as a power amplifier company it also produced several innovative preamplifiers, tuners and the Andromeda loudspeaker. His ...
and Sound City. He currently endorses Wilkins basses, as well as Fender Precision Basses and Taurus bass amplification. He is a longtime user of LaBella flatwound bass strings. He briefly switched to the LaBella roundwound strings for a time, but was not satisfied with them and returned to flatwounds. He also uses Fender medium picks.


Recognition and influence as bass player

Cetera received high praise for his bass playing during his years with Chicago. In his review of a 1969 Chicago concert at the
University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. It enrolled approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students as ...
, Ken Cruickshank wrote, "Their bass player, Peter Cetera, is perhaps the fastest and finest I've heard." Reviewing a 1972 live Chicago show at the
Greek Theater A theatrical culture flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. At its centre was the city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, and the theatre was institutionalised there as par ...
in Los Angeles, Henry Mendoza, writing for the ''San Bernardino Sun-Telegram'', labeled Cetera's bass work "superb" and said Cetera "emerged as one of rock's finest bassists." After a 1973 performance at
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
, writer Mike West reported his view of Cetera as more singer than bass player had changed, "His bass work was great, driving to peaks of soul sound." Writer Brown Burnett called Cetera's bass playing "excellent" in his review of Cetera's first solo album, ''
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
'' (1981). In a 2018 review writer Bob Helme said Cetera's bass playing on the song "Hot Streets" is "astounding" and called Cetera "an amazing bassist". In a 2019 article about the recording of the song, "25 or 6 to 4", Matt Hurwitz calls Cetera, "a remarkable bass player." Cetera was featured in the cover story of the December 2007 issue of ''Bass Player'' magazine. Shortly thereafter, he saw former Arkansas governor
Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...
playing bass guitar on television. Cetera sent his compliments, along with an autographed copy of the issue, to Huckabee, who was at that time a presidential hopeful in the
2008 Republican primaries From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Republican Party chose their nominee for president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator John McCain of Arizona was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections ...
. Huckabee said, "I was totally awestruck to get a letter from Peter Cetera. ...having one of the greatest bass players in my generation give me a compliment is like winning
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
."Bedard, Paul (February 8, 2008)
"Chicago Endorses Bassist Mike Huckabee"
. '' U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
Jimmy Haslip James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets, which he left in 2012. He was also an early user of the five-string electric bass. Early life and ...
, bass guitar player with the
Yellowjackets A yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow vespid wasp. Yellowjacket(s) or Yellow Jacket(s) may also refer to: Places * Yellow Jacket, Colorado, an unincorporated town * Yellow Jacket, Florida, an unincorporated area in Dixie County, Florida Arts, ...
, cites Peter Cetera as one of the bass guitar players who influenced him. Bass player
Will Lee William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hoope ...
says Peter Cetera influenced his playing, likening Cetera's playing to "a loose
McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
, but with all that Chi-town funk, and just as much taste and melodicism."


Songwriting

Songs written by Cetera have received popular success. During his years with Chicago nine songs that were written or co-written by Cetera made it into the top twenty on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and two of them were Chicago's only number one hit songs up to then, "If You Leave Me Now" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry". As a solo artist he wrote or co-wrote six songs that made it into the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with one, "Glory of Love" making it to number one and "One Good Woman" making it to number four. Cetera has gained recognition for his songwriting in professional music circles. He is a member of the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP), and as a songwriter he has won ASCAP honors in the category "Most Performed Songs" for "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Love Me Tomorrow", "You're the Inspiration", "Glory of Love", and "Restless Heart". According to the website ''SecondHandSongs'', "If You Leave Me Now" was covered by nearly one hundred different recording artists from around the world between 1976 and 2018, not including the duet version Cetera recorded with Italian vocalist
Filippa Giordano Filippa Giordano (born 14 February 1974) is an Italian-born Mexican crossover singer. Biography Giordano was born in Palermo. At the age of nine, she started ballet at the National Academy of Rome (where she moved with her family). Giordano ...
for her 2018 album, ''Friends and Legends Duets''. On February 22, 2017, it was announced that Cetera, Robert Lamm and James Pankow were among the 2017
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
inductees for their work as members of the music group Chicago. (Cetera did not attend the induction event, held Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.) In a 1986 interview, David Foster said of Cetera, "He's the best writing partner I've ever had." About the process of writing songs, Cetera has said, "I'm like the very bad student who only studies the day before a test! I only tend to write songs when I have a purpose – I need to know that I'm going to do a new album, and then I would start writing. There are not a lot of Peter Cetera songs lying around, because I don't really write a lot of things when I'm not expected to do an album!" According to William James Ruhlmann, in 1969 the Moon landing,
Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...
and convalescence after having his jaw broken provided Cetera with the right mix of inspiration and available time for him to write his first song with Chicago, "Where Do We Go from Here?", which was included on Chicago's second album. Until that time he did not perceive himself as a songwriter, telling Ruhlmann, "I came from a band that did Top 40 he Exceptions …and as far as I was concerned, especially when the Beatles came along, number one, all melodies had already been taken, and, number two, certain people were songwriters and certain people were singers, and I didn't consider myself to be a songwriter." Cetera also tells Ruhlmann that songs can come to people in "flashes", but without a recording device at hand they're apt to "disappear just exactly the way they come, into thin air." He says about the song "Happy Man", from ''Chicago VII'': " twas a song I wrote about midnight driving down the San Diego Freeway on my motorcycle, ...It was the one and only song that I ever remembered, words and music, and I went home and sang it into a tape a day later, and that's how that song came out."


Producing credits

Cetera co-produced seven of his eight solo albums: ''
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
'', ''
One More Story ''One More Story'' (1988) is the third solo album for music artist Peter Cetera and his second album after leaving the group Chicago. The album was co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Peter Cetera, and contains an appearance by Leonard's most famo ...
'', ''
World Falling Down ''World Falling Down'' is the fourth solo album by American singer-songwriter Peter Cetera, released in July 1992, and his third album since leaving the group Chicago. Background Released four years after his previous album, ''One More Story'', ...
'', '' One Clear Voice'', '' You're the Inspiration: A Collection'', '' Another Perfect World'', and '' You Just Gotta Love Christmas''. Cetera produced the album '' I Stand Alone'' by Swedish singer and
ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
member
Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse "Agnetha" Fältskog (; born 5 April 1950) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and a former member of the pop group ABBA. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 Agnetha Fältskog (album), self-titled debut alb ...
. It was released in November 1987, and reached number one on Swedish charts. Cetera also appears as a singer and composer on the album. The album featured a duet between Cetera and Fältskog, " I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)", and he and
Bruce Gaitsch Bruce R. Gaitsch (; born February 7, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is best known for working with notable bands and musicians such as Chicago, Peter Cetera, Madonna, and Agnetha Fältskog as a session musician and son ...
co-wrote the title track, "I Stand Alone". Gaitsch is also the album's co-producer, and Cetera's brother, Kenny Cetera, appears on background vocals. Three years after country singer
Ronna Reeves Ronna Renee Reeves (born September 21, 1966) is an American country music singer. Between 1990 and 1998, she released five studio albums, including three on Mercury Records; she has also charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. She ...
sang a duet with Cetera on his 1995 album, ''One Clear Voice'', Cetera produced Reeves' 1998 album, ''Day 14''. Reeves and Cetera were labelmates on River North Records, and she had accompanied him during his first solo tour in 1995–96.


Acting credits

Cetera has appeared in two movies: '' Electra Glide in Blue'', filmed in 1973, in which he played the character of Bob Zemko; and
Sidney Sheldon Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007) was an American writer. He was prominent in the 1930s, first working on Broadway plays, and then in motion pictures, notably writing the successful comedy '' The Bachelor and the Bobby-Sox ...
's ''
Memories of Midnight ''Memories of Midnight'', sometimes known as ''The Other Side of Midnight (Book 2)'', is a 1990 novel by Sidney Sheldon. It is a sequel to Sheldon's 1973 bestseller '' The Other Side of Midnight''. Plot summary The novel begins at the end of ...
'', a 1991 television movie made for the
USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
, in which he played the role of Larry Douglas.


Personal life

In 1969, Cetera suffered serious injuries when he was assaulted while attending a baseball game at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
with several bandmates. According to Cetera, four Marines took exception to a "long-haired rock 'n' roller" rooting for the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He suffered a broken jaw in the attack, spent two days in intensive care and had his jaw wired shut for several months. In July 1995, just as he was preparing for his first tour as a solo artist,  Cetera had a serious accident while riding his Harley-Davidson, Harley motorcycle which resulted in 60 stitches in his face. His tour had to be postponed for several months while he recuperated. Cetera's first marriage was to Janice Sheely. Cetera married Diane Nini in 1982 and their daughter was born in 1983. Their marriage seems to have been over by the time his album, ''World Falling Down'', was released in July 1992, according to writer Melinda Newman. Cetera and bandmate
Robert Lamm Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his songwriting, vocals, and keyboard melodies, most significantly on the band's debut studio album, ''Chic ...
were married to sisters Diane and Julie Nini, respectively.Jerome, Jim (October 16, 1978)
"Chicago's 'Alive Again
. ''People Weekly''. p. 93. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
In 1997, Cetera had a second daughter with then-girlfriend Blythe Weber. He met Weber while she was working at River North Records/Platinum Records. Cetera, a longtime resident of Ketchum, Idaho, has lived in Idaho since the mid-1980s and is a sports enthusiast.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
'' (1981) – No. 143 Billboard 200, US * '' Solitude/Solitaire'' (1986) – No. 23 US, RIAA certification, RIAA platinum * ''
One More Story ''One More Story'' (1988) is the third solo album for music artist Peter Cetera and his second album after leaving the group Chicago. The album was co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Peter Cetera, and contains an appearance by Leonard's most famo ...
'' (1988) – No. 58 US * ''
World Falling Down ''World Falling Down'' is the fourth solo album by American singer-songwriter Peter Cetera, released in July 1992, and his third album since leaving the group Chicago. Background Released four years after his previous album, ''One More Story'', ...
'' (1992) – No. 163 US * '' One Clear Voice'' (1995) * '' You're the Inspiration: A Collection'' (1997) * '' Another Perfect World'' (2001) * '' You Just Gotta Love Christmas'' (2004)


Live albums

* ''Peter Cetera and Symphony Orchestra - Live in Salt Lake City'' (2004)


Extended plays

* ''Fresh Takes'' (2021)


Compilation albums

* ''The Very Best of Peter Cetera'' (2017) No. 134 US * ''Love, Glory, Honor & Heart: Complete Full Moon & Warner Bros. Recordings 1981-1992'' (2022)


Singles


Featured singles


Soundtrack appearances

* 1982 – ''
Summer Lovers ''Summer Lovers'' is a 1982 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah, and Valerie Quennessen. It was filmed on location on the island of Santorini, Greece. The or ...
'' – "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (performed with
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
) * 1983 – ''Two of a Kind (soundtrack), Two of a Kind'' – "Prima Donna" (performed with Chicago) * 1986 – ''
The Karate Kid Part II ''The Karate Kid Part II'' is a 1986 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the second installment in the '' Karate Kid'' franchise and the sequel to the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid' ...
'' – "Glory of Love" * 1987 – ''Princess from the Moon'' (:jp:竹取物語 (1987年の映画), jp) – "Stay with Me" * 1987 – ''Three Men and a Baby'' – "Daddy's Girl" * 1989 – '' Chances Are'' – "After All" (with Cher) * 1990 – ''
Pretty Woman ''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and written by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), ...
'' – "No Explanation" * 2022 – ''Fresh (2022 film), Fresh'' – "Restless Heart"


Music videos


Television appearances (solo career)

* 1987 – ''29th Annual Grammy Awards'', presenter, February 24, 1987 * 1987 – ''
59th Academy Awards The 59th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 30, 1987, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During ...
'', live performance * 1992 – The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ''The Tonight Show With Jay Leno'', December 15, 1992 * 1993 – American Music Awards of 1993, ''American Music Awards'', presenter, January 25, 1993 * 1993 – ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', February 12, 1993 * 1993 – ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', March 2, 1993 * 1996 – ''CBS This Morning'', April 9, 1996 * 2003 – ''Concert for World Children's Day'',
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
(recorded in 2002) * 2003 – ''
Soundstage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
'',
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
* 2004 – ''
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
'' * 2008 – ''Hitman:
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
& Friends'', November 11, 2008,
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
* 2008 – ''Smucker's Presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds'',
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
* 2010 – ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. It premiered on February 11, 2007 and originally ...
'' – Greene Machine * 2017 – ''Chicago: The
Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...
Experience'', November 7, 2017,
AXS TV AXS TV () is an American cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musi ...


Awards and honors


As individual/solo artist

* 1984, Grammy Award, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, "Hard Habit to Break" (Track), Nominated * 1984: ASCAP Pop Music Awards, ASCAP's Most Performed Songs, multiple songwriter winner, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow", Won * 1986: ASCAP Pop Music Awards, ASCAP's Most-Performed Songs, "You're the Inspiration", Won * 1987: Grammy Award, Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male Artist, " Glory of Love", Nominated * 1987: Grammy Award, Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, "The Next Time I Fall, Next Time I Fall", Nominated * 1987:
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, Best Original Song, "Glory of Love", Nominated * 1987: Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe, Best Original Song, "Glory of Love", Nominated * 1987: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP Award, Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures, "Glory of Love", Won * 1987: American Video Award, Best New Artist, Won * 1994: ASCAP Pop Music Awards, ASCAP's Most Performed Songs, "Restless Heart", Won * 1997:
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry (Remix)" (Single), Nominated


As member of Chicago

(For a more complete list, see .) * 1969, Grammy Award, Best New Artist of the Year,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
(Band), Nominated * 1970: Grammy Award, Album of the Year, Chicago (album), ''Chicago'', Nominated * 1970: Grammy Award, Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, ''Chicago'', Nominated * 1976: Grammy Award, Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, "
If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is a song by the American rock group Chicago, from their album ''Chicago X''. It was written and sung by bass player Peter Cetera and released as a single on July 30, 1976. It is also the title of a Chicago compilation alb ...
", Won * 1976: Grammy Award, Record of the Year, "If You Leave Me Now" (Single), Nominated * 1976: Grammy Award, Album of the Year, ''
Chicago X ''Chicago X'' (affectionately called "the Chocolate Album" by fans) is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was recorded at Caribou Ranch and it was released by Columbia Records on June 14, 1976. The album made it to nu ...
'', Nominated * 1977: Madison Square Garden Gold Ticket Award * 1977: American Music Award, Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group, won * 1982: Grammy Award, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "
Hard to Say I'm Sorry "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. It was written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster. It was released on May 17, 1982, as the lead single fro ...
" (Single), Nominated * 1984: Grammy Award, Record of the Year, " Hard Habit to Break" (Single), Nominated * 1984: Grammy Award, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "Hard Habit to Break" (Single) Nominated * 1985, Grammy Award, Album of the Year, We Are the World (album), ''We Are the World – USA for Africa'', Nominated * 2014:
Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
, Chicago Transit Authority (album), ''Chicago Transit Authority'', Inducted * 2016:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
, Inducted * 2017:
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
, Elected (not inducted) *2020:
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...


References


External links

* *
Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera Awards at AllMusic.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cetera, Peter 1944 births Living people American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American male singer-songwriters American male pop singers American tenors American soft rock musicians American rock songwriters American rock singers American people of Hungarian descent American people of Polish descent American ballad musicians Chicago (band) members Singers from Chicago People from Ketchum, Idaho Guitarists from Chicago American acoustic guitarists 20th-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American accordionists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Singer-songwriters from Illinois Singer-songwriters from Idaho River North Records artists