STYX

STYX was the first band to have 4 top 10 singles in the United States under 4 different presidents...
STYX formed in Chicago,Illinois in 1961 as The Tradewinds...Dennis DeYoung heard music coming from a garage from brothers John Panozzo(drums) and Chuck Panozzo(guitar)and asked if he can join them and headed into the garage with his accordion...
John Curulewski(guitar/vocals)and JAMES(JY)YOUNG(guitar/vocals)were also joined the band in 1970...The band names was shortened to TW4...At this time CHUCK PANOZZO also switched to the bass guitar...
In the early days prior to CURULEWSKI and YOUNG joining the band DEYOUNG and the PANOZZO brothers played high school dances,weddings,and bars...
Through constant gigs in and around Chicago, the group developed a strong regional following, attracting the attention of Wooden Nickel Records, and in 1972 signed them to a record deal and recommended a name change...After pondering hundreds of names, they settled on STYX as being the only name no one hated...
STYX quickly learned that having a record deal doesn't mean you can quit your day job...Dennis and Chuck continued to teach in the public school system...Dennis taught music, Chuck taught art. To make ends meet, and despite his Mechanical and Aerospace Technology degree, James Young (JY) drove a city cab...STYX put out a total of four albums with Wooden Nickel Records, STYX, STYX II, SERPENT IS RISING and MAN OF MIRACLES, each generating less airplay and fewer record sales than the previous... But still STYX performed constantly throughout the Midwest,sometimes to crowds of a thousand or more...The one song that produced the greatest crowd response was the song "Lady", from STYX II, written by Dennis DeYoung for his wife, Suzanne...A radio station in Chicago, WLS, received constant requests for "Lady", and the program director vowed to play the song every night until it became a hit....Finally, in January 1975, two years after its first release, "Lady" entered the Billboard Top 40, where it peaked at number 5 and propelled STYX II to gold record status...
In 1975 STYX signed a new record deal with A&M Records...
With the success of "Lady", STYX signed a record deal with A & M Records and released their 5th album, EQUINOX... This was their first self-produced album. Less than a week before the start of their tour in support of EQUINOX, guitarist John Curulewski left the band which sent STYX scrambling for a new guitarist. John Curulewski leaving the band was very sudden...He went on to teach guitar at the Music Stop in LaGrange, Illinois, and became the most celebrated teacher in Chicago...
They found their niche in 23-year-old Tommy Shaw, a native of Alabama. Tommy's bluesy/country playing was the perfect counterpoint to JY's screaming guitar licks, just as his friendly good looks complimented JY's towering and imposing onstage persona...His songwriting seemed to bridge the gap between Dennis' mainstretch pop/rock and JY's more metallic tendencies....Equinox produced a top 30 single Lorelei...One song off this album Suite Madam Blue is the third most popular song in the province of Quebec,Canada...This album went Platinum in Canada...It's the only STYX record that sold more copies in Canada then it did in the United States...On this tour Tommy Shaw didn't sing lead on any of the song...
STYX may not have gotten past 1975 if they had not found Tommy Shaw...
In 1976 STYX released their 6th album,CRYSTAL BALL...Tommy had written four of the tracks on the album, including the title cut...One of Tommy Shaw's songs Mademoiselle became a top 40 hit peaking at number 36 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart...
These days weren't that easy prior to The Grand Illusion...They were nights where Styx would be sleeping on couches at fans houses and even changing into their stage clothes in smoke filled bathrooms...There was even one time in either 1975 or 1976 Styx was on tour with ROXY MUSIC and 15 minutes prior to stage time they were told that their 30 minute set was being cut to 15 minutes and due to some earlier contract dispute Dennis DeYoung had his keyboards confiscated and he was not able to play keyboards at this particular show...
On 7/7/77 STYX released its landmark album The Grand Illusion...It produced the top 10 single Come Sail Away sung by Dennis DeYoung and Folling Yourself sung by Tommy Shaw cracked the Billboard Top 30 singles chart...This also featured the hit single Miss America which was sung by James Young...Also in 1977 as The Grand Illusion was being released Equinox was certified platinum and Styx had their first major headlining show at The Forum in Montreal,Canada...1978 saw the release of PIECES OF EIGHT, with Tommy Shaw's two top 20 hits, "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man"...This was indeed a Tommy Shaw record as this was the second Styx record in two years not to have a hit single from Dennis DeYoung...To my knowledge(but I'm not fully sure on this)I think this is the only time on this tour that a Styx concert concert opened with a James(JY)Young song which was the Great White Hope...Dennis DeYoung on solo shows now performs the title track Pieces Of Eight on occasion...Tensions indeed were building up during the recording of Cornerstone...
STYX's 9th album Cornerstone was a major departure for the band. Featuring the ballad "Babe" and the mandolin-driven folk song "Boat on the River", this record had a much more softer and melodic sound. It was a risk that could have cost them fans, but instead it gained them a whole new audience. "Babe" became STYX's first and only number 1 hit in the U.S. and "Boat on the River" went Top 10 in nearly every country in Europe. ...STYX won over fans throughout the world, and their fans rewarded them in 1979 by voting "Babe" the People's Choice Song of the Year and in 1980 voted STYX the Most Popular Band in America in a Gallup poll.
TOMMY SHAW threatened to leave STYX if another ballad off of Cornerstone entitled First Time was released as a single...Believe it or DENNIS DEYOUNG was fired from the band for about a month(this was kepy very low profile)and rejoined the band in the time for their Grand Decathalon tour of 1979...
In 1981 the American people were looking for a little paradise, and paradise they got! The triple-platinum Paradise Theatre album(released in 1980)spawned two Top 10 singles - Dennis DeYoung's "The Best of Times" and Tommy Shaw's "Too Much Time on my Hands" - but it was an album about more than just hit records...Thematically linked to the closing of the majestic Paradise movie palace in Chicago, Paradise Theatre was the band's statement, through music, on the condition of the country, the human condition, and the condition of the heart...It was a bold and innovative piece of work. The tour that accompanied it was an artistic as well as commercial success, and STYX was rewarded with their only number 1 album...
In 1983 STYX released another concept which is considered the one that originally broke up the band...It did produce two more Top 10 singles Mr. Roboto and Don't Let It End...
KILROY WAS HERE is the brainchild of STYX's frontman Dennis DeYoung, back in 1983 a concept album set in the not-so-near future, KILROY is about a society in which rock 'n' roll has been banned and forced underground. A 15 minute film, played before the concerts on the KILROY tour, introduced this concept. In the film we witness the final moments of the "test case" KILROY concert and the character of Kilroy (played by Dennis DeYoung) being convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prisonment. We are then introduced to the rebel, Jonathan Chance (played by Tommy Shaw) and see his act of sending a message to Kilroy. We watch as Kilroy escapes, as a Roboto, and travels the city leaving "rock coded" messages. Finally we see Jonathan and Kilroy meet for the first time, the screen goes up, and on stage are the characters, exactly as they appear on film, who break into the song "Mr. Roboto". After the song is over, the acting continues for another five or so minutes then the real concert starts.
The concept slowly dissolves as the concert continues and the band becomes good ol' STYX. But at the end of the concert the entire concept returns as the band, again portraying their characters, returns to the stage for a final scene and reprise of the song "Don't Let it End". For STYX fans, this is a great ending, but to the general public "Then what happened?" is usually the response. Dennis DeYoung didn't write an ending to this story. He left it up to everyones imagination. For those fans, or non fans, who truely need an ending, you can read a fan-fiction novel written by a fan who truely needed an ending to this story. The piece is called "Whispers in the Night".
Dennis DeYoung really put himself into this album, having all the members of the group, and some members of the road crew, adopt a persona, and become a character in the story. As a matter of fact, all the members of the band portrayed the characters in the short movie that preceeded the concerts. While promoting the album, Dennis DeYoung even gave an interview as his "alter-ego" Robert Kilroy.
This album may have been far fetched to most people, receiving reviews both good and bad, but undoubtedly the breaking point for the band. STYX went their seperate ways after KILROY WAS HERE...
In 1984 STYX released a live record entitled Caught In Act...This featured live music from a series of shows they did on the Kilroy Was Here tour from the Senger Theatre in New Orleans,LA...It also featured one new studio track Music Time which cracked the Billboard Top 40...This was the last STYX with Tommy Shaw to crack the Billboard Top 40 singles chart...
There is ironically now a Volkswagen commercial to feature the STYX song Mr. Roboto in it...
Between 1984 and 1989 STYX was inactive...
STYX members go solo
In 1984 Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw released their debut solo records Desert Moon(this was certified gold in Canada in 1984) and Girls With Guns respectively...In 1985 the second solo release from Shaw entitled What If and the title track was featured in the move Remo-The Adventure Begins...In 1986 Dennis DeYoung released solo record number 2 Back To The World and James(JY)Young released his debut solo record City Slicker which also featured Jan Hammer...In 1987 Tommy Shaw released Ambition and in 1988 Dennis Deyoung released solo record number 3 Boomchild...
In 1988 original guitarist John Curlewski died in February 1988 from a brain aneurysm...
In 1989 Tommy Shaw formed the Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent and Jack BLades(Night Ranger)...Their self titled debut cd was certified gold in the United States on 7/5/90 and then Platinum on 1/8/91...The top 5 single off the record High Enough was certifed gold on 1/18/91...
In 1990 STYX was back in action with Edge Of The Century...This was record was released in October of 1990 and New Jersey native Glenn Burtnik replaced Tommy Shaw on Guitar/vocals as Tommy Shaw formed a new band entitled the DAMN YANKEES which also featured JACK BLADES and TED NUGENT...Edge of The Century featured the top 5 single Show Me The Way with Dennis Deyoung on lead vocals...This song also was featured during the Persian Gulf was and select soundbytes honoring the war were featured...Also another version of Show Me The Way surfaced after the 9/11/01 tragedy which featured excerpts of peoples accounts of what happened that day...This record also produced another top 30 single which featured Dennis DeYoung entitled Love At First Site and a top mainstream rock track entitled Love Is The Ritual that featured Glenn Burtnik on vocals...
While STYX was on tour in 1991 so were the Damn Yankees and there tours did cross paths...When the Damn Yankees were playing live there were times where Jack Blades would goof on Babe and Tommy Shaw would good on Sister Christian...There was a Damn Yankees concert(I'm assuming it was in the Chicago,Il area)that Dennis DeYoung's daughter was in attendance at at where Tommy Shaw was starting to play babe on an acoustic guitar and Ted Nugent destroyed the guitar...This infuriated Dennis Deyoung...Ironically both bands were staying at the same hotel which I think was in New York state...Tommy Shaw was getting out of the elevator at this hotel when Dennis Deyoung walked in and they actually sat down and talked and Shaw said he wouldn't do the guitar breaking after that...I also heard that Tommy Shaw showed up at a Styx show and hung out in the audience...I don't have all the facts on that...
In 1991 shortly after STYX toured for Edge Of The Edge of Century they were released from their record contract with A&M records...A STYX record was recorded in 1992(while trying to get a new record deal)but was never released...
In 1992 the Damn Yankees relesed their second solo record Don't Tread which went gold on 10/20/92...They soon disbanded afterwards...
In the mid 1990's Dennis Deyoung played Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar and in 1994 released his 4th solo record entitled 10 on Boradway which was a collection of showtunes...
Damn Yankees self titled debut was certified platinum on 8/17/94...
In 1995 Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades released an acoustic record entitled Hallucination under the moniker Shaw/Blades...
In 1995 Styx released a new greatest hits record which featured a newly recorded version of Lady entitled Lady 95 which featured Tommy Shaw...Tommy Shaw wasn't on the original version of Lady as he joined the band in 1975...
In 1996 STYX released Greatest Hits Part which featured two new songs Little Suzie and It Takes Love...Prior to this record being a released I was informed by someone who was working at a record store(who know I was fed up with alternative music since as it destroyed all the 80's rock bands)who said to me you will want to go to once concert this summer amd went on to say that Tommy Shaw was back with STYX...That indeed made my day...
TODD SUCHERMAN became the drummer for STYX as original drummer JOHN PANOZZO couldn't tour due to ailing health issues which included alcohol abuse...
The Return To Paradise Theatre tour went from May 1996-September 2006 and it was a great success...On 7/16/06 JOHN PANOZZO died at the age of 48 and remaining tour was dedicated in his honor...
In 1997 STYX released a new record entitled Return To Paradise which featured live concert material from the 1996 tour...Three new studio songs were also included on Return To Paradise and one of them was Dear John...This was a tribute to their late drummer John Panozzo...
The tour in 1997 was the celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the release of The Grand Illusion...
In 1998 Tommy Shaw released his 4th solo record Seven Deady Zens...
Damn Yankees signed a new record deal with Sony but nothing ever materialized from it...There were talks that if there was a record to come out that Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades wouldn't be touring since they were now fullt ime with Styx and Night Ranger...Sammy Hagar was rumored to replace Shaw for the tour...
In April of 1999 it was announced that STYX would be carrying on without its founding member Dennis DeYoung as he became sensitive to light and was ill from it...He was replaced by Canadian keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan..Gowan was a superstar in his native Canada...
The last live Styx performance to feature Dennis DeYoung was a PBS Benefit show that was shown on Channel 13...Also at this time founding bassist Chuck Panozzo also retired from touring with the band and was replaced by Glenn Burtnik(he originaly replaced Shaw in 1990 for Edge Of The Century)...Panozzo still makes live appearances with Styx on occasion and also does participate in everythign the band keeps doing...
In June of 1999 STYX released Brave New World...This was the first studio record to feature Tommy Shaw since the 1983 release Kilroy Was Here...In alot of people opionions it didn't really have a Styx feel to it as Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw recorded their parts to the record in different recording studios...Everything Is Cool was released a single off the record but it failed to make the charts...
In 2000 STYX released a new live record entitled Arch Allies with REO SPEEDWAGON...Both band co-headlined a tour together in 2000 which was a success...This STYX record was the first to feature Lawrence Gowan...
In 2001 STYX released another live record entitled Styx world which featured live Styx recordings from 2000 that were outside of the United States...A live version A Criminal Mind(which was a hit in Canada for Lawrence Gowans previous band Gowan)was featured on this live recording...
STYX in 2001 also toured with BAD COMPANY and BILLY SQUIRE.
In 2002 Sanctuary Records released another live Styx record entitled In The River's Edge-Live In St. Louis...This basically was the same record as Arch Allies but it also included a live performace of Lorelei which wasn't on the Arch Allies release...
In 2003 STYX released Cyclorama...This record which charted in the top 130 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart was the first studio record to feature Lawrence Gowan...The first single Waiting For Our Time which featured Tommy Shaw on vocals cracked the mainstream rock Top 40...These Are The Times(James(JY)Young),Kiss My Ass Goodbye(Glenn Burtnick)are also two great songs on the record...Cyclorama definitely had a STYX feel to it and it was much better then the Brave New World release...
Styx toured in 2003 with Journey and Reo Speedwagon...After the tour Glenn Burtnick left the band was replaced by Ricky Phillips...
In 2003 Dennis DeYoung released a live cd entitled Dennis DeYoung-The Music of Styx and it was recorded with an Orchestra and it featured hits from STYX as well as some his solo songs and three new studio tracks...
In 2004 STYX released Come Sail Away-The Complete Styx Anthology...
In May of 2005 STYX released Big Bang Theory on UMI/Universal records...This was a collection of cover tunes that featured I Am The Walrus(Lawrence Gowan),I Can See For Miles(Tommy Shaw),and If It Don't Make Sense It Don't Make Peace(sung by James(JY)Young...Big Bang Theory cracked peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart as many of the songs off the record were featured various rock stations all over...
On 4/20/06 & 4/21/06-Dennis DeYoung performed in the New Jersey area...Glen Burtnik joined DeYoung onstage for the first time in 15 years at both shows...I was the show on 4/20/06 in Morristown,NJ and it was great...They played a few songs from the unreleased 1992 STYX record...
In November 2006 STYX released a new live record entitled One With Everything on UMI/Universal recordsw hich features the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland...This record feature live versions of STYX classics with the orchestra as well as a new studio song Just Be sung by Tommy Shaw...Another new song entitled Everything All The Time is also featured on this record...This song is also sung by Tommy Shaw and it was recorded live...
In Feb 2007(EUROPE) & March 2007(USA)respectively the second SHAW/BLADES collabortation entitled Influece was released...A tour in support of the release in the USA followed...Influence also debuted at number 28 and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Independent Chart and at number 117 on the Billboard Top 200 chart...
In March 2007 original STYX bassist and founding STYX member Chuck Panozzo released an autobigoraphy entitled The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies,and My Life With Styx...
On June 19th 2007 Dennis DeYoung relased a brand new solo record in Canada entitled 100 Years From Now...The albums first single the title track 100 Years From Now hit number 2 on the radio singles chart in Quebec,Canada and the album debuted at number 2 on the album chart in Quebec,Canada.
The summer of 2007 saw STYX on the road with DEF LEPPARD and FOREIGNER.
The fall of 2007 saw TOMMY SHAW and JACK BLADES perform a few more SHAW/BLADES shows.
Environmental solutions provider BidForGreen announced on 11/26/07 that they will be fuelling the famed rock band Styx and Tommy Shaw's side project Shaw/Blades in 2007-2008.
In Jan/Feb of 2008 STYX played select dates prior to their upcoming tour with DEF LEPPARD and REO SPEEDWAGON.
During March and April of 2008 STYX played dates with DEF LEPPARD and REO SPEEDWAGON.
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