Chicago, IL. (Top40 Charts/ NARM) - As they celebrate their 40th Anniversary, the legendary Rock band will return to the city where they got their start to receive NARM's highest honor
Chicago, the legendary Rock band known for extraordinary creativity, influential musicianship and staggering commercial success, will receive the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) Chairman's Award For Sustained Creative Achievement during the organization's 49th Annual Convention, which will be held April 29 through May 2 at the Hilton Chicago. The group will accept its Award during the Awards Dinner Finale, which will be Wednesday, May 2.
"NARM's membership — on whose behalf we bestow this prestigious Award — applauds Chicago's successful career," said NARM President Jim Donio. "At the group's inception 40 years ago, band members had a dream to integrate all the musical diversity from their beloved city of Chicago and weave a new Rock 'N' Roll sound with horns. It feels so appropriate that as NARM brings its annual Convention to Chicago, we honor the band by the same name whose dream turned into sales of over 120 million records and a longevity rarely achieved in most careers."
As the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades, Chicago is one of the best-loved and most successful bands in Rock history. Of its albums, 18 are Gold, 13 are Platinum, 12 have reached the Top 10 and five have hit No. 1.
Chicago will become a member of an exclusive and exceptionally talented club of artists who have received the NARM Chairman's Award. Past recipients include Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Leonard Bernstein, Nat King Cole, Rod Stewart, Garth Brooks, Lena Horne, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers, Liza Minnelli, Carlos Santana, Quincy Jones, and Kool & The Gang.
The band was formed when a group of DePaul University music students began playing a series of late-night jams at clubs on and off campus. They added more members, eventually growing to seven players, and went professional in 1967 as a cover band called The Big Thing. They changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, soon simplified it to Chicago, moved to Los Angeles, and signed with Columbia Records.
Their freshman 1969 self-titled, double-LP debuted on the charts in May as the band began touring nationally. By July, the album had reached the Top 20, without benefit of a hit single.
The band's popularity exploded in 1970 with the release of their second double-LP set, "Chicago II." The album contained their first two Top 10 hits, "Make Me Smile," and " 25, or 6 to 4."
Albums and No. 1 hits continued over the next 15 years until the band's contract with Columbia came to an end. They soon signed a long-term contract with Warner Bros. Records, which led to the million-selling "Chicago 16" in June 1982, featuring the Gold single, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry."
"Chicago 17" turned out to be a landmark success for Chicago. Propelled by the mega-hits "Hard Habit To Break," and "You're The Inspiration," the album sold more than seven million copies.
In 1994, the rights to Chicago's Columbia albums reverted back to the group, and they founded Chicago Records to reissue them.
An acclaimed album of revived Swing Era standards came in 1995 and was followed by the group's 30th Anniversary celebration record, "The Heart Of Chicago 1967-1997," which was certified Gold, and featured the No. 1 AC hit, "Here In My Heart." In 1998, the band followed with "The Heart Of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II."
In 2002, Chicago signed an impressive pact with Rhino Entertainment, which unified their early catalog with the later Warner Bros. work. Since then, Rhino has remastered and repackaged all of the band's early works on CD. Together with Rhino, Chicago released an acclaimed 39-song collection called "Only The Beginning: The Very Best Of Chicago," which has been certified Double-Platinum; a comprehensive 5-CD box set featuring a special archival DVD; and a live performance DVD culled from the band's appearance on the popular TV show, "A&E Live By Request."
In 2004 and 2005, Chicago created headlines by co-headlining with Earth, Wind & Fire. A DVD of the tour, "Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live At the Greek Theatre" was certified Platinum less than two months after release.
In 2006, Chicago released its 30th album, "Chicago XXX," which was welcomed as a tour de force studio album, with inventive melodies, great lead vocals and harmonies, the trademark horn sound, and superb all-around musicianship. The album was produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts.
A 2006 highlight for Chicago was the University of Notre Dame's invitation to perform with its marching band during halftime at the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina football game - the first such invitation in Notre Dame history. Heroes to generations of marching bands, the members of Chicago participated in a weekend full of activities, culminating in a spectacular half-time concert in front of 80,000 people, which will be released on DVD later this year.
