So sad, Styx was so huge back in the late 70s early 80s... I love Dennis. Awesome singer, song writer and keyboardist... going to see him in CT this spring in Torrington. Can’t wait !!!!!
DDY was always my favorite member of the band, his musical composition skills are what made Styx great. TS was the other talent powerhouse in the band, but he was kid when he joined. Dennis made it all happen, and they kicked him to the curb.
They ruined Styx and Journey? Do you mean by writing MORE hits...BiGGER hits. The bands sold MORE concert tickets...MORE merchandise....did MORE of everything. So while they music wasn't exactly the same,they didn't "ruin" anything. They changed with the times. Just like Heart,Aerosmith,Chicago and even Metallica did.
Tommy and JY have been jerks about this whole thing first by down playing his dismissal (he did not quit) then removing his name from the website (although that has since been reinstated), their constant refusal to allow him to be in the band (that he co-started before Tommy), and won't even talk to him? Musical differences are one thing but this is borderline hatred. What did Dennis do to be treated like this? It's rude, inconsiderate, disrespectful, ungrateful, and unwarranted. Tommy simply wanted to rule the band himself, and it's just not the same without Dennis. THEY may be happier, but that's pretty selfish; they would be nobody's if it wasn't for Dennis and the years he led Styx. This is sad, and just plain WRONG.
Michael Schmidt James Young says the band wishes him well... Dennis had put his digs in too but has stopped as well... What helps Dennis now is that he went back to his rock roots on the last solo record and he did get the two guys aka the Tommy Shaw and James Young imposters... Very important he did I feel. I support both Styx and Dennis just sucks they cannot get along
Or Tommy wanted to rule the band and that’s why they booted Dennis. I don’t see why it’s wrong for Dennis to want that but Ok for Tommy.. But clearly Tommy is only interested in his own happiness and not that of the guy or fans that enabled it. Personally I’d rather see Dennis lead the band; I’m not a fan of their direction without him
Dennis sounds like a nice guy. Tommy needs to see the light and understand that the fans want The Originals. They might could even make some new music and get it played on the radio. The fans don't want tribute bands, they want the real deal
He is extremely arrogant, as is his wife, who has not left one inch of her body unlifted. He is the cause of the rift for the most part. They got tired of his endless demands that he get everything his way. I don't blame them one bit.
Werner Huehn I'd genuinely like to know what led to your opinion of Dennis. Could you explain a bit more? I don't like arrogant people at all... So it seems to be a personality clash between the band members?
I watched him on VHS1 Behind the Music. I also read the book The Grand Delusion, which had a lot of unflattering things to say about his wife. She was very meddling at the end, and caused the firing of their manager. He felt it was his way or the highway, and the rest of the band decided on the highway. And they are much happier. It is a shame what happened, but I know where the real problem was. Get The Grand Delusion. Very enlightening. Maybe he has become humbled over the years. The fact that his wife is on stage confirms everything I have read and heard about her.
Love Dennis! His interviews are always funny and heart warming. Love Tommy n JY too it's just that you have two diff. camps. Like SUPERTRAMP another band I love and the same thing is happening with them as well ( Rick Davies n Roger Hodgsen won't speak with each other ) Wait!!! Hold the phone!!!!!! ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME nominates both STYX n SUPERTRAMP but demands all key members come up on stage and receive their award......yeah ;)
I've been a Stix fan right from the beginning!! I caught a show at "Seven Feathers" in Oregon, a few years ago. They we're awesome, without Dennis! No offense to Dennis but Lawrence Gowan does a great job filling his shoes, and then some!!
Dennis always took the blame for having the big ego, but it takes more than one person to have a clash of egos. Nearly every cent Tommy and JY have in the bank is due to Dennis' songs and ideas. Tommy contributed a few hits, but Dennis was their gravy train. JY did not write one top 40 hit for the band by himself. Every top 10 hit except one was written by Dennis. I used to side with Tommy and JY but it seems to me they turned out to be the jerks. Dennis may have an ego, but he never kicked any one out, or left the band.
Love Dennis and his singing. Love Styx and always will, but sometimes a divorce HAS to happen. They would never be good again because their heart isnt in it.
There's a huge difference though, Dennis still rocks and sings like it's 1980. Steve Perry wouldn't be able to survive a single song let alone a tour lol.
I am intrigued by the fact that in the videos, Dennis always has light in his eyes. He is fully present. The lights are on and someone is home. A good guy like that is always going to be pushed out by the group, if he’s around a group that is just not on his level. Sorry, but some of the others just seem to have dead eyes at times. I know people will rush to defend Tommy Shaw, blah blah blah. But everyone is on different levels and nothing will ever convince me that Dennis wasn’t the great energy mixed up with lukewarm, cold or even negative energies in this particular group. They pushed him out.
I'd rather have Dennis than Tommy Shaw and company. His presence is way more than two or more of the other guys. He's at least several levels above the rest of them, and they are jealous of that.
I saw Styx a couple years ago in OC. They had a guy who was the Dennis replacement. The show was great. The song choices were intensive of the Tommy and JY songs, and they were great. Great energy, great sound mix, and very positive and happy. I don't care for the Roboto song at all, but I like the rest of the DeYoung hits. But his replacement did a great job of it.
The real problem is that you have two strong type A personalities with differing musical visions and each one wants to be the captain, the boss. Unfortunately, it can't be that way. I don't think either one is necessarily the "bad guy". They're just two different people, and it is what it is.
By two strong type A personalities, I am guessing you mean Tommy and Dennis because JY barely has any personality at all. The issue is Dennis wrote 7 out of 8 of their top ten hits and he founded the band with the Panozzo brothers. Tommy is a Styx hijacker who came in after Styx had achieved success with Lady (reached #2) and Lorelei (reached #28).
Secret Sauce? The why didn't Tommy have more than one top ten hit? Dennis let Tommy have the title song on the first album he played on and it didn't even reach the top 40 with the album peaking at 66. Lady and Show Me The Way, both without Shaw, were top ten hits. Not much secret to the sauce and that secret in Dennis DeYoung.
ROTFLMAO - Top ten hits don't make a rock band? That is arguably wrong as many rock bands had top ten hits like Survivor with Eye of the Tiger in the 1980s. Tommy and his apologists think he is the Rocker but they can't explain Girls with Guns. Give me a break. Top ten hits make MONEY and fans!
Funny how Tommy and JY hated and complained about Kilroy and Mr Robot yet now it's the 35th anniversary of the album and guess who's performing that song live they have no shame bunch of hypocrites
I thought Dennis was the one with issues and was a egomaniac! But he seems to be a really nice guy, what a shame a band like that don't get along. Watch JY on stage performing, that is one weird stuck up dude!
Joe Labriola He had an ego, they all did, but believe me nobody gets close to Tommy Shaw. He also caused the most friction and trouble in the band. He’s a sook
Joe Labriola I met JY he’s a total sweetheart. Tommy’s nickname is “The Godfather” because he refuses to meet and greet and you have to he extra extra special to be around him.
I just read all the comments and my heart breaks with all the fussing and disagreement. Me personally i m on the DDY side of things. Whose voice do you hear on the radio when a Styx song is played? Its DDY. I love TS also he is so talented but how long can you go on playing the same old tunes? I know they came out with the Mission Album but if DDY was still in the band you probably would have had about 5 albums and new fresh material being created . DDY is pure sugar and Gowan is saccharin. Which do you prefer? There is no wrong answer.
A lot of very talented people are difficult to deal with, they have a vision, they know what they want and they don’t settle or compromise. It’s not that unusual. Ever hear of Beethoven? Extremely hard to deal with and it didn’t make him any less a genius. And don’t give me DeYoung is no Beethoven because I would say he has a lot more talent than you and that’s a fact. Dennis started the band, Tommy and JY came in later and they wanted just as much control as Dennis. It was two against one but they wanted their own control, so they’re really no different than Dennis in that regard.. DeYoung started the band and was the CEO. Should he have been less controlling and been more willing to compromise? Absolutely and he knows it and has regretted that he had them do things they didn’t want to. They (Tommy and JY) need to grow up and be willing to put the past in the past and move on to better things. They should be willing to be professionals and do one more tour.
@@burtonsmith3574 wow. You you are a true fan boy and probably a moron. Of course he has more talent in terms of music. I got his f'ing records on the radio. That's my talent dip shit.
@@burtonsmith3574 I totally agree, they will be gone soon and all that will be left is there music although Styx is not Styx without Dennis my opinion.
Tommy and JY do not deserve Dennis. Dennis does not need them. Dennis wrote Styx's only #1 hit song. Don Felder and Dennis should tour together. They can compare notes. Henley and Frey screwed over Felder and Shaw and JY screwed over Dennis.
PINK FLOYD... THE BEATLES...THE EAGLES....STXY.... YES. . GENESIS .THE POLICE... ALMOST EVERY BAND LOST THIER SINGER AND OR WOUND UP HATING EACHOTHER THATS ROCK N ROLL ......
No doubt Styx ain’t the same , how do you fire the man who started the band , wrote nearly all the hits , look at it like this , take away all the songs Dennis wrote , let the current lineup Play the rest , would anyone REALLY want to see that concert? Why am I hearing crickets? Lol their playing HIS songs , tommy wrote a few , JY didn’t write nothing of substance, he’s the guitar player ? That’s it , anyway it is what it is , no they SHOULD have just hung it up or started a new band !
Not denying DDY talent but I DON’T LIKE HIM! I’m sick and tired of everybody blaming Tommy for everything! Why shouldn’t Tommy be happy? Tommy doesn’t want to work with Dennis.. PERIOD & I don’t blame him! Dennis is a control freak. He wanted everything to be his way! Dennis thought they wouldn’t be successful without him! Then when they were successful DDY tried to sue for the use of the Styx name. As was stated on “Behind The Music”, Dennis won the right to be Dennis DeYoung! I just don’t like Dennis’ personality! I love Styx just the way they are now. If DDY had his way, Styx would be playing ballads and soft rock! So now Dennis can do what he wants & play the music he wants without inflicting his will on others! No one should expect Tommy to perform with Dennis just to please others! I love Tommy Shaw and I’m sick of seeing him get the blame for the rift in the band! Dennis brought this all on himself!!!
Besides DDY, the only TRUE original member of Styx left is Chuck Pannozzo (who, I suspect, only does the occasional onstage appearances for legal reasons). JY was the 4th guitar player to join the band (in the Tradewinds days) & Shaw replaced another guitarist (granted, they did much better once Shaw came aboard). DDY & The Pannozzo brothers initiated Styx-JY & Shaw, in a just world, should have no valid claim to the band's name whatsoever..
He is talented and I appreciate his songs. But he’s also is a perfectionist and control freak and was impossible to deal with. He’s a demanding Prima Donna. That’s why the others don’t want him back. He’s a headache. It’s better this way. And James Young and Tommy Shaw found another very talented guy who sings well and plays keyboards and is very talented. And they have an excellent new drummer, too. The new Styx is better than ever! Check them out!
Of course not! But the internet makes it all possible. It enables me to make my criticisms and comments. Isn’t it great? I’m an amateur psychologist! No schooling necessary! Talk is cheap and you get what you pay for. It’s free!
i seen STYX without dennis a few times and they were awesome.. also dennis was very selfish in 1999 when the band wanted to go on tour and he did not so they went on without him... lawence gowan is a much better front man and very talented and entertaining person ... sorry but i stick with tommy and the gang on this... you want to hear the old band together listen to the records..
@@mr.balloffur tommy, jy, and chuck are Gowan is great and Todd took over once John passed away So whats the big deal? Music is great and they put on an awesome show - end of story...
@@mr.balloffur closest thing to it on planet earth! Not much today is like it was 30 yrs ago so we have what we have.. My only point is that the new Styx band puts on a rock solid performance - I've seen them 3 times and the other 5000 people in the crowed seemed to have an awesome time as well - is that not all that matters?
true, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It's a shame they can't compromise somewhere between a couple dozen shows a year and a couple hundred.
Dennis has a wonderful band now. They love playing together and the audience has fun. Forget about ever getting together with those old guys who rejected him. Others like the others, hard rockers. I like Dennis’s romantic songs and his classic rock style. His new band sounds great!
Good points; I too like Dennis's solo shows and band. Too bad he couldn't have the rights to the name- to me his band sounds more like Styx than "The Tommy Shaw Band" does that calls themselves Styx.
Michael Schmidt he lost the rights to the name... He left the band... Best thing he got were the Tommy Shaw and James Young imposters so he can play their songs...
He never left the band; he asked for time off, the band said no and majority ruled him out of the band. Granted there were other issues but Dennis has always wanted, and still wants to be in the band. There would be no Styx today, and nobody would have ever heard of Tommy Shaw if it wasn't for Dennis, and they/Tommy show their "gratitude" by firing him, refusing a reunion, and refusing to even talk to him simply because it's what they/Tommy selfishly want.
If Dennis didn’t have a fake Tommy, and JY in his “ band” I’d be more impressed. I’ve seen their videos, and I have no desire to see their show. Styx on the other hand is the best show around. I’ve seen them 5 times since cyclorama. Can’t wait to hear the whole mission album live. Gone, Gone, Gone, is a great song in the Styx style doesn’t have any thing to do with Dennis. Hey my grandson loves the song, and he’s two. I played him a Dennis De Young video with the fakers he didn’t like it . The kid’s got taste.
Dennis has "fake Tommy and JY"? If you listen to Gowan without watching video, you can barely tell the difference, he sounds exactly like Deyoung, only Gowan has to bail when he hits certain notes he couldn't hit with a pole vault...watch a Mr Roboto vid with Gowan. Of course DeYoung would seek to have TS and JY replacements, just as "Styx" hired Gowan
Dennis caused this rift with the band. It wasn't the 1st or 2nd rift he has caused. The band finally got sick of his demands and not wanting to tour. People need to do their homework before blaming Tommy Shaw and JY.
Also Tommy, JY and Dennis has only toured once in 35 years! That was the reunion "Return to Paradise Tour" 1997-1998. Once in 35 years! Dennis needs to get over it.
You don't know what you are talking about. Dennis toured in 1991 for Edge of the Century, 1996 for Return to Paradise and 1997 for Grand Illusion Anniversary tours. All in the last 35 years. Tommy wanted to do his solo stuff Seven Deadly Zens in 1998 while Dennis did the Hunchback stuff. Tommy broke them up in 1983 because he wanted to rock? Have you heard Girls with Guns? Biggest piece of crap pop song ever written. Didn't even hit the top 40. Dennis was THE REASON Styx ever became famous and Tommy and JY were and still are jealous. It is that simple.
Do your math Franny. You don't know what your talking about. Did you fail math class? Dennis, Tommy and JY have only toured once since Kilroy. 1996-1997. It is 2018. That makes them touring together once 1996-1997 since 1983 and it's 2018 right now. Thats 35 years. Do your math Franny . 1983-2018 is 35 years and toured once together. I saw them June 27, 1997. They were great.
First 1983 was the Kilroy tour, 1996 was the Return to Paradise Theatre tour and it ended on September 21, 1996 when the concert was recorded at the Rosemont Horizon, in Rosemont, Illinois. I saw them in 1996 and also in 1997 for the Grand Illusion 20th Anniversary tour which was a separate tour that was done because Chuck needed the money to help with his medical issues. I still have the tour t-shirt. I added Edge of the Century to because Dennis toured with JY then while Tommy was too busy making fun of Styx's only #1 hit. As for math, one of my several degrees is in math so I don't care what you think.
