Tris Imboden has announced he is leaving Chicago after more than 27 years due to family concerns. The band’s percussionist, Walfredo Reyes Jr. will take over as their new drummer. Tris, who replaced founding drummer Danny Seraphine in 1990, recently broke the news on his Facebook page.
“Dear Friends,
This is to announce that I have decided to no longer tour with the band Chicago. "I came to this decision after many sleepless nights and much soul-searching," he wrote. "I realize the great honor I was given to have played drums with this incredible band for quite nearly three decades, however, at this point in my life I no longer want to commit to 9 to 10 months out of every year on the road. This is no small way is because I have finally found and married the love of my life, Mary, and I want to share more of my life with her… I'm still strong as a horse and very healthy thank God! I wish to thank all of the members of the band, past and present, our manager Peter Schivarelli, and all of you amazing fans who have made this incredible ride possible. Chicago truly has the best fans in the world. Look forward to making more music in the near future and appreciate your continued support.
Stay tuned…With much gratitude, Tris
Tris concluded that the heavy touring schedule left him with little time to do much else. “It wasn’t the right balance for me. As Chicago moves forward I wish them continued success with their long and illustrious career.” “My family is my whole world I cherish them above all else. It can be very difficult at times to find the right balance in life between work and happiness. You just have to stand up for what you believe is right”
Chicago also released a statement wishing Tris well in his future endeavors…
“As many of you have already heard, our long-time drummer Tris Imboden has resigned. For nearly thirty years Tris has shared his tremendous talent, and indeed his life, with Chicago. We are fortunate to have known him and grateful to have shared the stage with him these many years. He has been a great friend and bandmate and we’ll miss his enthusiasm and contagious smile. We wish Tris and Mary a lifetime of happiness together”.
The band also addressed the toll of being on the road, “The rigors of touring are immense. Now, in our 51st consecutive year of touring, we understand the toll it takes on our families, Chicago plays well over a 100 shows a year... It is a difficult life”. However, after all these years together, Chicago still has four remaining original members…Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider.