Danny Seraphine

Drummer/producer Daniel Seraphine was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28, 1948, and was raised in Little Italy. He has said that his interest in music probably saved him from becoming a street tough. By the late 60s, Seraphine was drumming in various bands, including one with teen friends Walter Parazaider (woodwinds) and Terry Kath (guitar). Named at first The Big Thing, the band eventually became Chicago, and Seraphine should be considered a founding member. Once producer James Guercio got Chicago out to Los Angeles, things began to take off for Seraphine and the others. They managed to record their first album - a double one - in just two weeks. Famous for keyboardist Robert Lamm's songs, Kath's incredible guitar, and trombonist Jimmy Pankow's brass arrangements, "The Chicago Transit Authority" also features the rock-solid Peter Cetera (bass)/Seraphine rhythm section. Seraphine in particular shines on songs such as "Introduction" and "I'm A Man." Creative and lightening fast, Seraphine could handle all aspects of the skins. Early Chicago efforts feature him bashing through classic rockers ("25 or 6 to 4"), doing his best Buddy Rich on jazz charts ("Devil's Suite"), and sizzling his Slingerland set with solos ("Now More Than Ever," "Motorboat to Mars"). His funky backbeats were a highlight when the band went soulful (e.g., "Skin Tight"). Not much of a writer at first, Seraphine later ended up penning some hits ("Little One," "Take Me Back to Chicago"), some filler ("Show Me the Way," "Birthday Boy"), and the interesting "Street Player" and "Aloha Mama." His writing partner was often the keyboard guy for Chaka Khan and Rufus, David "Hawk" Wolinski. After periods where at first Lamm and then Pankow were defacto leaders of the group, the mantle fell to Seraphine (about the time of "Chicago XI" - 1977). According to Seraphine, this was because the others in the group were messed up on drugs. Kath's accidental suicide (possibly drug-related) in 1978 should have served as a wake-up call, but, in fact, several band members attest that the situation only got worse. Seraphine, ostensibly the only sober guy, ended up investigating management. What he found wasn't good. Apparently, the band was being big-time ripped off. The fall-out included an acrimonious split from Guercio and a series of lawsuits. But Seraphine's troubles were far from over. In 1974, former Sergio Mendes session man Laudir De Oliveira was added to the band as a percussionist (he'd done sessions with Chicago dating back to "VI"). In recent interviews, Pankow has said that De Oliveira was brought on board at Kath's insistence to keep the rhythm section on track. According to Pankow, Kath and others simply thought Danny wasn't cutting it. For his part, Danny has dismissed this as nonsense, saying HE got De Oliveira in the group to help expand their Latin feel. By the time Chicago rose from the ashes of the has-been bin in '82 with the release of "16" (with much credit due to Seraphine, who brought Bill Champlin on board), pop music had fallen in love with the drum machine. Seraphine came to grips with the technology, and "17" and "18" featured no live drums. The details are murky, but the official story is that Seraphine lost his chops (Danny denies this, saying, "I'll always have chops"). By "Twenty-One" (1991), session drummer Tris Imboden (who, it must be said, is excellent) had taken over, and, shortly thereafter, Seraphine was fired. In 2008 interviews, Danny has been more candid about his departure. Initially reluctant to go into details, he has now stated that Champlin and singer Jason Scheff weren't keen on a drummer running the band, and issued Chicago an ultimatum: either HE goes, or WE go. In one or two instances, he's also mentioned that the originals had made a pact to stick together - a pact he indicates was heartlessly broken at the time (though he still calls his former partners "good guys"). Bandmates such as Pankow assert that Danny didn't spend enough time practicing, and that live shows were disastrous because of it; when an intervention didn't work, Seraphine was fired. Seraphine has scoffed at this as being a cover story for their true motives. Since then, Seraphine has kept himself busy with a variety of musical and theatrical projects. Bearded and balding during Chicago's heyday (sporting the occasional toupee), Seraphine is now a goateed producer living in L.A. (after many years in Colorado). He has been divorced at least once, and has several children (some of whom he'd dedicated the song "Little One"). He worked with ex-CBS/Epic Records exec Ron Alexenberg, and co-produced and performed on Lyric's "Chocolate Soup" as well as their hit single, "Would I Lie". In more recent years, Seraphine has turned his attention to producing and resourcing investment for Broadway shows (he and Scott Prisand have been instrumental in bringing the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit musical "Bombay Dreams" to Broadway, following its London run). In 2007, Seraphine began performing again with his new group California Transit Authority. They released a CD entitled "Full Circle," which is a mix of fusion and lively Chicago remakes. The band performs live from time to time and is developing a following.