Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoung was born on February 18, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois to parents Maurice and Loraine DeYoung. Growing up in the Roseland area of Chicago, DeYoung started his career as a vocalist in 1962 at the age of 15 when he teamed up with his 13-year-old neighbors Chuck and John Panozzo in a three-piece combo. The trio later added guitarist James Young and John Curulewski to form the band Tradewinds in the late 1960s. The band renamed itself TW4 in 1968 before becoming Styx in 1972.

Before the band met with success, DeYoung spent time as an elementary school teacher in the southern suburbs of Chicago, where he taught music at a variety of schools. During this period, the band played a number of small venues and school auditoriums, refining their craft before the song "Lady" propelled them to national, then international, stardom.

DeYoung met his high school sweetheart Suzanne when he was seventeen and she was fifteen. They married in 1970.

Within Styx, DeYoung acted as lead vocalist, keyboardist, accordion player, producer and songwriter. From the start of Styx's commercial success with the 1973 DeYoung-penned single "Lady", DeYoung became the creative force behind most of the band's hit songs. DeYoung wrote and sang lead on seven of the band's eight top 10 Billboard Hot 100-ranked hits during this period, with Tommy Shaw's "Too Much Time on My Hands" (#9) being the sole exception. The seven DeYoung penned-and-performed top 10 Billboard hits, in order of their peak chart placement are:

• "Babe", the band's only #1 hit to date
• "Mr. Roboto" (#3)
• "Show Me the Way" (#3)
• "The Best of Times" (#3)
• "Don't Let It End" (#6)
• "Lady", the band's 1973 breakthrough hit (#6 in March 1975)
• "Come Sail Away" (#8)

A self-taught keyboardist, DeYoung quickly became one of the most notable keyboard players in rock. Featured on the cover of the January 1981 issue of Contemporary Keyboard magazine (a story that was reprinted in Contemporary Keyboard's book on the greatest rock keyboardists), DeYoung described many of his steps along the way through his keyboard-playing career: He'd never played an acoustic piano until the recording session for 1973's "Lady"; he recorded the track for 1979's "Babe" in a friend's basement on a Rhodes electric piano he'd never touched before; the odd feeling of switching back to playing accordion for the song "Boat on the River" and discovering how small the keys felt to his fingers after years of playing electric organs and pianos.[1]

As a keyboardist in Styx, DeYoung was best remembered for his prominent lead synthesizer solos performed on the Oberheim 4 voice synthesizer that dominated the mix with a unique tone, a key element of the Styx sound. Influenced by the recent release of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's first album, DeYoung – a novice synthesizer player at the time – used a modular Moog to record the keyboard tracks for Styx's debut album in 1972. This album featured a rock version of "Fanfare for the Common Man", more than 5 years before ELP came up with a similar idea of recording this classical composition as a rock band featuring the synthesizer that would later become one of ELP's best known recordings.

DeYoung's songs often had a grandiose style to them in the tradition of 1970s theatrical rock, which heavily influenced the group's direction in the late 1970s, culminating in the concept albums Paradise Theatre (1981) and Kilroy Was Here (1983). The dissent of some members in the band during Kilroy brought tensions between the group's members over the future direction of the band, leading to guitarist Tommy Shaw's departure in 1984.

With Styx in limbo following Shaw's 1984 departure, DeYoung began a solo career of modest success. His first solo album, Desert Moon (1984), generated a top 10 hit, "Desert Moon", and the follow-up single, "Don't Wait for Heroes", cracked the Billboard Top 100 as well. The Desert Moon album was certified gold in Canada in 1984.[2] To date, "Desert Moon" is the only solo single by any Styx member to hit the Billboard Top 10.

DeYoung's solo career continued with Back to the World (1986), which contained the singles "Call Me" and "This Is the Time" which was featured in the soundtrack of Karate Kid II (1986) movie. His third solo album Boomchild (1988) failed to have a hit single, though the video for "Boomchild" received a fair amount of music video airplay.

After a five-year hiatus; DeYoung and several other members of Styx began discussing a possible reunion in 1989. By December 1989 Styx had unofficially reformed. Tommy Shaw, who joined Damn Yankees in 1988, did not return.

In 1990, Styx (minus Tommy Shaw, who was replaced by guitarist/singer-songwriter Glen Burtnik) returned to the studio for the album Edge of the Century (1990). "Show Me the Way", a track written by DeYoung for his son Matthew, received extensive radio play, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (Styx's 8th top 10 single, and 7th written and sung by DeYoung) particularly after a number of radio stations mixed it with voice tracks of parents headed off to fight in the first Persian Gulf War. This put the group in an exclusive group as one of only a few bands to have a top ten hit single under four different United States Presidents. The group toured extensively before A&M Records (which had just merged with PolyGram Records) dropped the group from its roster in 1992; the group broke up again shortly afterwards.

Between stints with Styx, DeYoung, a Roman Catholic, joined a touring revival of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1993,[3] appearing in about 200 performances as Pontius Pilate. The experience inspired him to record his 1994 album of Broadway standards, 10 on Broadway, and to begin work on a musical of his own based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831).

Though DeYoung and his bandmates had been able to put aside their musical and personal differences during the "Return to Paradise" tour, those same issues resurfaced once work started on their new album, Brave New World. Complicating matters, DeYoung's physical health took a sudden turn for the worse; DeYoung said he was afflicted with a chronic fatigue syndrome-like disorder that affected his trigeminal nerve, and that he would not be able to perform onstage due to a sensitivity to bright light and sound caused by this disorder. The other four members of Styx said that the band was contractually obliged to tour in support of the Brave New World album. When DeYoung reiterated his health issues made him unable to perform live, the other members of the band opted to replace DeYoung with Canadian star Lawrence Gowan in 1999 in order to fulfill their touring obligation.[4]

DeYoung sued his former bandmates, seeking the rights to use the group's name in support of his solo career. The suit was settled in 2001, with the group being allowed to keep the name "Styx" and DeYoung able to use the name in descriptive phrases such as "the music of Styx" or "formerly of Styx" (but not "the voice of Styx").

Styx has consistently maintained that any chance of a reunion with DeYoung is unlikely. When asked about any possible reunions with DeYoung, James Young of Styx commented on an edition of VH1's Behind the Music television series, "Maybe when they are playing hockey on the river Styx. And maybe not even then." Young also addressed the reunion issue on an episode of VH1's Feuds 2000, noting the possibility of a reunion would only happen "[as] the Eagles said, 'when Hell freezes over'." Bassist Chuck Panozzo, no longer actively touring with Styx due to health issues associated with his HIV-positive status, offered a more hopeful tone to a writer doing a story on the band for tampabay.com; while reflecting on the effect the loss of his fraternal twin brother, John, had on the band, Panozzo noted, "Before any more of us die, I would hope that it could happen. Every year that it doesn't happen is another year that goes by. And if you wait too long, who will care?" But in an interview Tommy Shaw gave Rolling Stone in 2011 indicated that he didn't think a reunion was realistic, noting, "We're crazy, but we're not insane."[5]

Dennis DeYoung performing in 2010

In February 2000, DeYoung was approached to perform a concert featuring his many songs from Styx, as well as his solo works and his 1997 stage musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with an orchestra. The show, performed at the Rosemont Theatre near DeYoung's hometown of Chicago, was a family affair for DeYoung. His wife Suzanne and sister-in-law Dawn Marie Feusi sang backup, his daughter Carrie Ann was in charge of publicity, while his son Matthew designed the stage lighting. The concert was well received[6] and formed the basis for a touring version of the show, and eventually a 2004 live album, The Music of Styx - Live with Symphony Orchestra.

Healthy once again, DeYoung returned to touring with a 50-piece orchestra augmented by a five-piece rock band, which included Tommy Dziallo on guitar, Hank Horton on bass, and Kyle Woodring (from John Mellencamp and Deana Carter) on drums, all of whom also played shows with DeYoung with or without the orchestra.

DeYoung made his major motion picture debut in 2005's The Perfect Man, in which he played the lead vocalist in a Styx tribute band.

In August 2006, DeYoung appeared along with Supertramp's Roger Hodgson on Canadian Idol, where he performed with and mentored the contestants.[7]

On April 20, 2006, at the Community Theatre in Morristown, New Jersey, DeYoung took to the stage once again with former Styx guitarist and bassist Glen Burtnik as part of his Lost Treasures concert series. It marked the first time in nearly seven years that the two had appeared together. On his website, DeYoung jokingly dubbed the performances "The Denny and Glenny Show". While on stage, the duo opened with the Beatles classic "We Can Work It Out" and also performed "Watching the World Go by", and "All for Love", songs that were originally written for the unreleased Edge of the Century 2 Styx album.

On September 14 and 15, 2006, DeYoung appeared with Hal Sparks on Celebrity Duets, an American reality television show produced by Simon Cowell. They sang Styx songs "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto". DeYoung was invited back to perform on Celebrity Duets on September 28, 2006, with finalist Hal Sparks. The pair performed the Styx breakthrough hit "Lady", written by DeYoung in 1973, with DeYoung serenading his wife Suzanne in the audience while Hal did the same for his long-time girlfriend.

In 2007, DEP Records of Canada released DeYoung's stateside 2004 live CD Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx Live with Symphony Orchestra, which went on to achieve platinum status.[8] (In Canada 50,000 plus copies sold for a double CD qualifies as platinum.) They also released his DVD The Rock: Symphonic Music of Styx, which went triple platinum.[9] In addition, he appeared on the Canadian reality TV series Star Académie.

On June 19, 2007, DeYoung released in Canada his fifth solo album, One Hundred Years from Now, marking a return to his rock roots. The first single, the title track, was a duet with Québécois singer Éric Lapointe. The single reached number 1 on the Québec Radio Single and Soundscan charts. The album was released in the U.S. on April 14, 2009, with slightly different tracks. One song "I Believe In You" received some airplay on Sirius XM and some local radio stations.

On New Year's Eve 2007, he performed "Mr. Roboto", "Come Sail Away" and many other Styx classics to a large audience at Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Canada, and millions of viewers via live television on CHCH-TV Channel 11. Following his concert, he did a brief live interview with CHCH-TV's Mat Hayes.

On May 8, 2008, DeYoung's musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in Chicago.[10] This production went on to win the Joseph Jefferson Award for best musical in Chicago in 2008.[11]

On September 20, 2008, DeYoung performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert for the John Entwistle foundation. The benefit concert was held at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, North Carolina, and featured many other rock and roll musicians. He and his band performed many of Styx's hits.

Dennis DeYoung performing during the 2014 Eat to the Beat Concert Series, part of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, in Walt Disney World

In November and December 2008, DeYoung was a featured artist on the German Night of the Proms 20-city tour. He joined Robin Gibb, Tears for Fears, 10CC and Kim Wilde on the sold-out tour. He also accompanied Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees on piano performing "How Deep Is Your Love".

On July 12, 2009, DeYoung was honored by his native city Chicago with the "Great Performer of Illinois Award".[12] Following the award ceremony in the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, DeYoung and his band performed many of Styx's hits in a free concert.

In 2010, DeYoung formed a new band to capture the sound and look of the original Styx band, dedicated to the music of Styx, adding a Tommy Shaw look-alike and sound-alike guitarist and lead vocalist August Zadra and bassist-vocalist Craig Carter to join John Blasucci, James Young look-alike guitarist Jimmy Leahey, Tom Sharpe, and wife Suzanne DeYoung in performing Styx hits "Renegade", "Blue Collar Man" and others as well as DeYoung's solo works.[13] The current band members have been lauded for their talents in their own right.

On October 21, 2014, a 2CD + DVD and Blu-ray package, Dennis DeYoung... And the Music of Styx Live in Los Angeles, was released in the U.S. via Frontiers Records. The European release date was October 17, 2014.[14] Also on October 21, 2014, a condensed version of this live concert package was broadcast on AXS TV Headliner Club Concert Series.[15] The concert took place at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 18, 2014.[16]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Dennis DeYoung among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[17]

On May 22, 2020, DeYoung released 26 East, Vol. 1, his seventh solo studio album and first in over a decade. The title comes from the real-life address in Chicago that DeYoung grew up in.[18] The last song on the record, "To The Good Old Days", features Julian Lennon.

On January 18, 1970, DeYoung married his longtime sweetheart Suzanne Feusi. The couple have two children, daughter Carrie Ann and son Matthew. Suzanne DeYoung frequently joined her husband on the road, and eventually their children came along as well, as a way to provide stability for their family.

DeYoung is an avid fan of the Chicago White Sox.[19]

• Dennis DeYoung official website
• Dennis DeYoung at IMDb
• Dennis DeYoung fan site
• Interview with Dennis DeYoung
• Interview with Chuck Panozzo on Styx reunion
• Dennis DeYoung interview with Stuck in the '80s podcast