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James Pankow

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James Pankow
Pankow in 2008
Pankow in 2008
Background information
Birth nameJames Carter Pankow
Born (1947-08-20) August 20, 1947 (age 77)
St. Louis, Missouri United States
GenresRock, adult contemporary, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, arranger
Instrument(s)Trombone, keyboards, vocals, percussion
Years active1967 (1967)–present

James Carter "Jimmy" Pankow (born August 20, 1947) is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.

Biography

Early life

Born in St. Louis, Missouri of German and Irish descent, Pankow moved with his family to Park Ridge, Illinois at the age of eight, where he started playing the trombone at St. Paul of the Cross Elementary School.

One of nine siblings, Pankow was influenced by his musician father, Wayne. He is the older brother of veteran actor John Pankow.[1] His Notre Dame High School band instructor was Father George Wiskirchen, CSC

Pankow earned a full music scholarship to Quincy College, where he studied the bass trombone. After completing his first year, he returned home for the summer and formed a band that began to play some live local shows. Not wanting to give up this work, Pankow transferred to DePaul University.

He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and was given the National Citation as well as recognition as Signature Sinfonian along with fellow Chicago members and Sinfonians on August 26, 2009.[2] Chicago

Career

Chicago

At DePaul, Pankow met Walter Parazaider, who recruited him to join a band named The Big Thing, which would become Chicago Transit Authority. Soon after the first album's release, the band's name was shortened to Chicago. Pankow has remained a member of Chicago since its inception.

In addition to playing the trombone, Pankow has composed many songs for Chicago, including the hits "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World" (both from his suite Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon), "Just You 'N' Me," "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," "Old Days," "Alive Again," and (with Peter Cetera) "Feelin' Stronger Every Day."

Pankow has also composed most of Chicago's brass arrangements over the years.

Although Pankow is not one of the band's principal vocalists, he sang lead vocals for two Chicago songs: "You Are On My Mind" (from Chicago X, 1976) and "Till the End of Time" (Chicago XI, 1977).

Other

Along with fellow Chicago horns Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider, Pankow was featured on Three Dog Night's 1969 #15 hit "Celebrate" and on several tracks of the 1979 Bee Gees' Spirits Having Flown album. Pankow has appeared on several albums for the rock band Toto, including the 1982 Grammy Award winning Toto IV and their 2006 album Falling in Between, for which he composed the brass arrangements and performed on the song "Dying on My Feet."[3]

Personal

He was married to Karen Pankow for 18 years and had two children, Jonathan Pankow (born in 1981) and Sarah Pankow (Born in 1986). His second and current marriage is with Jeanne Pacelli and had two more children, a son Carter Pankow and a daughter Lily Pankow.

References

  1. ^ "Brother Act". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  2. ^ "Chicago and Signature Sinfonian Members Recognized in Pre-concert Ceremony". Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – Sinfonia News. Sinfonia. August 28, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. ^ James Pankow at AllMusic. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
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