The thrilling saga has finally come to a conclusion. When it was announced that Chicago were among this year’s class of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, co-founder Robert Lamm hinted that erstwhile frontman Peter Cetera, who left the band in 1985 to pursue a solo career, might be reuniting with them onstage at the induction ceremony. First Cetera “emphatically declined” to take part in the reunion, then decided that he would be there after all, then threatened to walk due to some unnamed dispute in the negotiations, then officially backed out of the whole thing. He described the blog post in which he shared the bad news as “the short high road nice version of what I really wanted to say” and promised to “post that response at the appropriate time.” Well, the appropriate time has apparently come, and Cetera has clarified the motivations behind his decision in a new blog post on his official website:

My final HoF decision!

Regretfully, I’ve decided NOT to participate in the 2016 HoF induction ceremonies. I appreciate the award and I want to thank all of you who voted and finally made it happen.

Many of you will be disappointed and that’s understandable. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed as well. There comes a time when you need to make a decision based on what’s best for you without worrying about the consequences and this it that time.

Every idea or suggestion I offered about how it could work musically was either rejected or changed by the show’s producers. Together with the fact that while I sent those same emails to the group, the only reply I ever received back from them was a very snarky “Take a chill pill dude!” Whoa! Really?

At this point in my life, I don’t care to reintroduce the same negativity, misplaced egos, and petty jealousies I left behind years ago.

I’m very happy right where I am now, touring and playing my music with a band I love. You should all come and see us if you have the chance and please check my site for performance updates.

Peacefully moving on, Peter

Peter Cetera will not be told to take a chill pill! Not now, not ever!