Styx (band)

Styx is an American rock and roll band, popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and touring again in the 2000s. They were the first band to have 4 consecutive triple platinum albums.

1990s and present day

In 1990, with Shaw achieving some success with Damn Yankees, the remaining elements of Styx reformed with Glen Burtnik replacing Shaw. The new line-up released one album, Edge of the Century, featuring the Dennis DeYoung ballad "Show Me The Way," which received an additional boost just prior to the first Persian Gulf War. Some radio stations edited the Top 5 smash to include the voices of children whose parents were deployed in Saudi Arabia between 1990-91. Burtnik's songwriting also helped buoy "Edge of the Century" to gold album status, contributing to hits "Love at First Sight" and "Love is the Ritual." Styx toured across the U.S. with somewhat mixed reviews, before once again disbanding after A&M dropped the band. In 1994, DeYoung recorded "10 on Broadway," revealing his unexpected talent for singing popular showtunes.

Related Topics:
Damn Yankees - Glen Burtnik - Edge of the Century - Persian Gulf War

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The band reunited in 1995 to re-record "Lady" for Styx Greatest Hits (1995) and a 1996 tour, but John Panozzo was unable to participate due to declining health caused by problems with alcohol that killed him soon after. Continuing with Todd Sucherman replacing Panozzo, Styx's 1996 Return to Paradise tour was also a success. They documented the reunion tour with a 2-disc live set, 1997's Return To Paradise, which featured three new studio tracks; "On My Way," "Paradise" (a soft rock hit that also appears on Dennis DeYoung's Hunchback of Notre Dame solo album), and "Dear John," a beautiful acoustic tribute to the late Styx drummer John Panozzo that has become a cult favorite among Styx fans. Two years later, the band released its first new studio album in almost a decade, Brave New World (1999). The album received a lukewarm reception and the single, "Everything Is Cool," failed to chart. Once again, personality conflicts drove the band members apart. While Tommy Shaw and James Young's material followed a hard rock vein, Dennis DeYoung's penchant for Broadway styles infuriated his bandmates, and the dramatic differences in styles were all too evident on Brave New World. DeYoung was further hindered due to a viral illness which made him excessively sensitive to light.

Related Topics:
1995 - Styx Greatest Hits - 1996 - Alcohol - Todd Sucherman - Return To Paradise - Hunchback of Notre Dame - Brave New World - 1999

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In 1999, before he had a chance to return to the group DeYoung found himself replaced by Lawrence Gowan on the record company's insistence that the band begin touring again as soon as possible. Chuck Panozzo also left at this time and later revealed that he was battling HIV. Glen Burtnik returned to fill Chuck's bass duties. In 2004, Burtnik left Styx to spend more time at home, and was replaced by Ricky Philips, formerly of The Babys and Bad English. Chuck Panozzo still sits in with the band occasionally.

Related Topics:
Lawrence Gowan - HIV

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Meanwhile, DeYoung continued his solo career by re-arranging his Styx hits and performing with a symphony orchestra, and also filed a lawsuit against his former band members charging that they had used the band's name without his consent. The suit was eventually settled on the grounds that DeYoung could bill himself as "performing the music of Styx" or "formerly of Styx," but not "the voice of Styx". A new version of Styx featuring Shaw, Gowan, and sole remaining original member James Young released Cyclorama in February 2003. This edition of the band also toured extensively through the first half of the decade. In 2005, DeYoung released a CD of re-recorded Styx hits from a solo concert with a symphony orchestra (titled "Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx"), while the remaining members of Styx recorded a new album made entirely of rock covers. The new CD, "Big Bang Theory", was released on May 10, 2005, and reached #46, Styx's highest chart position on Billboard's Top 200 in 14 years. Ten tracks from the album charted in the Media Base Classic Rock Chart's Top 75, with "I Don't Need No Doctor" leading the way at #6. June 2005 brought the band to Europe, touring in support of Big Bang Theory, for their first visit in 24 years. Tommy Shaw said, "We have found our audience still there for us, and there for us with bells on. There is daily discussion as to when, how, where, and every other aspect of returning as soon as we can."

Related Topics:
Cyclorama - February - 2003

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