Lee Loughnane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Loughnane
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Loughnane in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lee David Loughnane |
| Born | October 21, 1946 Elmwood Park, Illinois, US |
| Genres | Rock, blues, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1966-present |
Lee David Loughnane (pronounced LOCK-nain) was born on October 21, 1946. He is an American musician who plays the trumpet, flugelhorn, and sings. He is one of the original members of the famous rock band Chicago. Lee is well-known as one of the three horn players in Chicago's brass and woodwind section, along with James Pankow and Walter Parazaider.
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Lee Loughnane's Early Life and Musical Start
Growing Up in Illinois
Lee David Loughnane was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. This town is a suburb located northwest of Chicago. His parents were Philip and Juanita Loughnane. Lee was the second of five children in his family.
Discovering Music
Lee started playing the trumpet when he was 11 years old. He used the same trumpet his dad played in the Army Air Force. Lee went to St. Mel High School. This was an all-boys school run by the Christian Brothers. He chose this school because it had a concert band, a jazz band, and a marching band.
By the time he finished high school in 1964, Lee knew he wanted to be a professional musician. He felt it was his true calling. He later met his future bandmates from Chicago during his first year at DePaul University.
Lee Loughnane's Music Career with Chicago
Forming the Band
Lee became good friends with guitarist Terry Kath. Through Terry, he met drummer Danny Seraphine and saxophone player Walter Parazaider. Walter was trying to start a rock band that included a horn section. He asked Lee to join their rehearsals.
Lee Loughnane has been a member of Chicago since the very beginning. At first, the group was called The Big Thing. Later, they added Peter Cetera on vocals and bass. The band was then renamed The Chicago Transit Authority. Eventually, they shortened the name to simply "Chicago."
Songwriting Contributions
Lee has written several songs for Chicago. These include the hit singles "Call on Me" from the album Chicago VII. He also wrote "No Tell Lover" from Hot Streets.
Other songs he wrote for albums include "Take a Chance" from Hot Streets. He also wrote "Together Again" on Chicago X and "This Time" on Chicago XI. More recently, he wrote "America" on Chicago XXXVI: Now. A copy of "America" was sent to every member of Congress when it was released in 2014.
Lee was a bit shy when he first shared his songs with the band. He said he felt timid because the band was already very successful. He wasn't sure if his songs were good enough.
Singing and Other Roles
Lee Loughnane sang lead vocals for the first time on the song "Song of The Evergreens." This song was written by Terry Kath and appeared on Chicago VII. Lee often sings background vocals on many Chicago songs.
He has also sung lead on a few other songs. These include "Together Again" from Chicago X and "This Time" from Chicago XI. He also sang on Christmas songs like "Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" from Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album. In concerts, Lee sings "Colour My World."
Besides his musical talents, Lee is known for helping the band work through problems. He often handles interviews with the media. He has also produced several recent Chicago albums. One of these is Chicago XXXVI: Now. This album was recorded entirely while the band was on tour. Lee put together a special traveling studio with engineer Tim Jessup to make this possible.
Acting and Collaborations
Lee Loughnane, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, had a small acting role in the 1973 movie Electra Glide in Blue. He played a pig farmer on a hippie farm. Other Chicago members like Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, and Walt Parazaider also appeared in the film. It was directed by James Guercio, who was Chicago's producer at the time.
Lee also played a motorcycle cop in Chicago's 1984 music video for "Stay The Night." In 2013, Lee, along with fellow founding members Robert Lamm and James Pankow, made a short appearance in the comedy Clear History.
The horn section of Chicago, including Lee Loughnane, Walt Parazaider, and Jimmy Pankow, played on two songs for the Bee Gees' album Spirits Having Flown. These songs were "Stop (Think Again)" and "Too Much Heaven." On "Too Much Heaven," Lee played the flugelhorn. In return, the Gibb brothers from the Bee Gees sang backup on Chicago's song "Little Miss Lovin'." The bands became friends while recording at Criteria Studios in Miami.
The Chicago horn section also played on several songs for Leon Russell's album Americana. One notable song was Let's Get Started. For this album, Lee worked with saxophonist Marty Grebb to create the horn arrangements.
Awards and Recognition
Lee Loughnane is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. This is a national fraternity for men in music. He received the National Citation and was recognized as a Signature Sinfonian on August 26, 2009. Other Chicago members who are also Sinfonians received this honor too.
In 2012, Elmwood Park dedicated "Lee Loughnane Way" near his childhood home. This was a special way to honor him. In 1992, Chicago received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their star is located at 6438 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
See also
In Spanish: Lee Loughnane para niños
