Dennis DeYoung on the Trouble With Styx & "Mr. Roboto" 

I saw Dennis live a couple of years ago and he still has it, fantastic show.

When I was in radio back in 2008, Dennis was doing a solo tour and came to our studio for an interview. He brought his Casio with him and along with me getting an hour with him to interview, he played a medley of his songs on the air. He told me the story of he and the record company wanting to release First Time following Babe when Cornerstone came out. He said Tommy threatened to quit the band if they did that because they were starting to go towards a softer sound. I actually agreed with Tommy but I didn't want to say that in the interview. On a side note: Dennis was one of the nicest guys guys I had met in the business and very professional.

In seventh grade my dad told me about “Mr. Roboto” and showed me the music video. I thought it was so cool, so I listened to it on REPEAT for hours. I have been a Styx fan ever since! That song is still one of my favorites too, it’s awesome

Dennis is 77 now - and his voice is STILL golden. He's AMAZING !!!!

Paradise theater was the last Styx album I bought. I didn't like Mr roboto when it came out, but you know what? It grew on me. And when it comes on nowadays, I sing along with it with gusto, because it's iconic and I was there when it came out and for some reason I'm proud of that 😏

It is past time that DeYoung and Styx bury this hatchet.

Paradise Theater is still my fave Styx album! And Dennis on his solo "Desert Moon." Keep at it, Dennis!

I seen Styx in 1979 with Dennis it was awesome, then I seen Dennis with his band 2 years ago he's still amazing and an unbelievable vocalist! Dennis is Styx and Styx is Dennis DeYoung. Period!

God Bless Dennis DeYoung! I will always love the music of STYX, because of DeYoung as he has a fantastic voice for the songs he sang. "Lady"..."The Best of Times"..."Come Sail Away"...."Mr. Roboto", all great songs with his vocals!

It’s been so long since he’s been gone and I’ve seen them without Dennis and they are still great and rockin. At 63 I guess I don’t care anymore.

He is absolutely right ! Even if you hate one or two or three Styx songs there are 8 or 20 more Styx songs that will make your motor purr !!!

Dennis is just as inspiring to listen to speak than listening to his music, and his music is magical. What a great talent.

It's always been my opinion that Dennis was the heart and soul of Styx. When I saw the entire band together in the 80s, they sounded incredible. Many years later, when I saw Dennis in concert with his new band and Styx with Lawrence Gowan in the same year, I heard and felt the magic in the harmonies and the passion in the music with Dennis' band; but with the current Styx lineup, all I heard was technical musical prowess, with lots of energy, but without the passion, and that classic Styx harmony just wasn't there, it was missing the bite that Dennis provides.

I love pretty much every styx album, including Mr. Roboto.

Sad because Tommy Shaw is his best when collaborating with DDY … they were made for each other. The awesome blending when singing.. and the melodic solos he adds to DDY songs are epic.

He loves the sound of his own voice. Working with him cannot be easy.

Gonna go against the current narrative here. DDY is a great song writer and performer. However, from the interviews I have seen the problem was not the song Roboto, but rather the attempt to turn concerts into a Broadway type show. Look at the video of the reunion tour available on RU-vid. The Janitor with the trash can, the stage set, the costumes. Those choices were all screaming DENNIS. Compare that to the first concert video with Gowan. I saw them on their 2001 tour with REO Speedwagon and they were awesome. Yes, DDY was missed, but Gowan brings his own spark to the band. They seemed way more lively and into their playing than on the reunion tour. And, who is Chuck Panozzo playing with when he plays anymore?

Whoa, Dennis, I got the same thing. I got real sick in 2013. The doctor gave me antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin) and 3 days later my vision got messed up, I get headaches from the sunlight, slightly dizzy and have also lost 80% of my energy. For 10 years I have been working to fix this but no doctor wants to investigate it. So i'm there with you. I know what you're going through with energy levels and sunlight.

Dennis DeYoung is definitely one of the best song writers ever. A great musician and singer.

I saw them in 96 and they rocked. Give us one more reunion guys!

i want this resolved. Styx is the first band that made me fall in love with rock. Part of my puberty. Dennis DeYoung is a legend and always will be. Please come together. So Dennis got a little top 40ish and JT is a rocker. JT did Miss America, the dude needs to rock. Put them in a room and make them work it out. They are too legendary to not keep this going in my lifetime. Remember, the rock Gods reached down and touched each of you for this greatness.

the first time i heard mr roboto i remember jumping in the car and starting it up. my radio was always on and cranked and i was like who the f*ck is THIS? dennis was so far ahead of the rest of the group and i think he made them feel inadequate.

For the record, I love "She Cares". One of my favorite JY guitar solos.

Paradise Theater was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Styx is no where as good without Dennis. Great showman.

Been a Styx fan for over 40 years! Seen most of their old album promotion concerts as a kid! Always a great show!

When I knew that they ( Tommy, JY & Cahil ) were lying about DDY, was when they spoke about the Texxas Jam @ The Cotton Bowl in Dallas. I was there on the infield that HOT HOT day & night. I was also there for the previous years Dallas portion of the Texxas Jam when Journey headlined. Styx did take too long to get on stage after Sammy, Ted & Rik completed Sammy's encore. Many 1000's did leave after the encore BUT I'm certain that most were leaving because of the heat, horrible restroom situation, beer sales being stopped BEFORE Styx took the stage, or because they were not Styx fans to begin with and they came to see some of the other bands. The same exact thing happened the year prior after Santana finished their set and BEFOREJourney came on stage. Fans left. The vast majority of the fans that left, left long before Styx even took the stage. They left at the intermission between Sammy Hagars's show and BEFORE Styx even came out. Styx played a GREAT show that night. The 30,000 + that remained loved the show. Very few left while they were playing. The booing occurred on cue when the Dr Rightous portion of the concert happened. Also some major booing occurred when the stadium announcer announced that the Texas Blue laws were going into effect early and beer sales would be stopped immediately. That happened right after Sammy's encore & before Styx took the stage. Either way the booing depicted on the Behind The Music wasnt directed at the music Styx was playing that night. The fans ate up that great great concert. That Behind The Music episode was nothing more than lies and drama aimed at Dennis. I cant even fathom how some people would do such a thing all for the sake of $$$$. I dont blame Behind The Music. They did it for ratings. They didnt know the truth and they got a bad guy in the story which is a ratings builder. But for Tommy, JY and Jim Cahil to spew those lies to slander a bandmate and friend is reprehensible. GREAT interview I really enjoyed it.

It’s so hard to see so many years pass by and never see them reunite is hard on the fans. I was a kid, now I’m an old man . Time is running out omg

This is way bigger than "Roboto" and Dennis and everyone else knows it. This started with Cornerstone & Babe, as the sound of the band was taking a new direction - one Tommy & JY didn't care for, but put up with for a while because of the ENORMOUS commercial success Dennis was having with the time. Sometimes artistic differences just aren't reconcilable and its sad but its life. As far as the reunion goes - JY & Tommy will tell you it already happened in '96 - and that's it ...

I liked EACH member of Styx and just about all of their music. I wish...each member could just set aside their diffetences, shake hands and...play. I'm sorry to see this. Dennis, I thank you & each of your bandmates for ALL off the great music & memories. Good Health and All The Best to each one of you!

You are the BEST Dennis Deyoung is the key to styx!!!!

I've heard Dennis mention in a previous interview that "Mr. Roboto" was never supposed to be a Styx single. It was written as an intro for the album and nothing more. But the record label wanted to put it out as the first single and Dennis didn't relent nor have any control over that decision, and neither did the band. And the band agreed that after the Kilroy tour they would go back to the studio to make a proper rock record sans the concept album shtick. Kilroy nor 'Roboto' were the reasons for Styx breaking up. The band broke up because Tommy left the band and Dennis refused to continue without him, much to the dismay of JY. Styx was supposed to get back together in '88, but Dennis had to wait for the release of the music video for his titular album single "Boomchild" and it was delayed. By the time it came out, Tommy had already hooked up with Damn Yankees. Dennis eventually relent in '89 recruiting Glen Burtnik and Styx did have a few hits with the Edge of the Century album, but unfortunately it didn't pan out, mostly because Grunge took over and because the record label got bought out and dropped the band. Styx reunited in '95 with Todd Sucherman on drums due to John Panozzo being ill. John died during the reunion tour and the band carried on. They were set to record a new album, and Dennis already had commitments to do the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical but still wanted to be involved. Unfortunately, it resulted in Dennis limited involvement in Brave New World because Dennis had to stay put in Illinois and the band wasn't willing to send the tracks to Dennis for him to record any keyboard or vocal parts. That's why on BNW the only songs Dennis is on are the ones he wrote, perhaps with the exception of "Everything Is Cool". On a sidenote, it's also rumored that Chuck Panozzo's involvement was limited due to his ongoing battles with AIDS and Glen Burtnik came in and recorded bass parts, but I don't think it's ever been confirmed. Dennis was overworked and he got sick with a virus and doctors didn't know how to treat it. Styx had a new album and a tour lined-up and ready to go. Dennis asked the band to give him 6 months to get better and the band refused and continued without him. Behind The Music doc came out about the band, Dennis sued them for the rights to use the Styx name and they reached a settlement. Tommy and JY tour as Styx. Dennis tours as Dennis DeYoung: The Music of Styx.

I will never see any band calling themselves Styx without Dennis DeYoung.

I was a teenager when Mr. Roboto came out. Yes it was different than most music but in a good way. Also electronic gizmos and computers were becoming affordable for home and schools along with movies that had robots or cyborg type characters. The song fit the time period and stimulated your thoughts on what the future and technology has in store.

Cornerstone , great album . My first ever styx record . Coolest album cover. those days when you were a kid playing the record on the turntable and looking at and reading the album cover over and over looking at the designs etc.

Close to twenty years ago, I was either driving east on Highway 50 towards Lake Tahoe or on I-80 towards Reno. Anyway I saw consecutive billboards for casinos. One advertising Styx, the other Dennis DeYoung. So both were performing in the same city, at different venues. Brilliant!

I love Styx and Dennis De Young is amazing. This seems to be a situation not unlike Journey. If the other members want to continue on and one of the members is sick or no longer wants to perform, then oh well. You have to keep the business rolling while its hot.

Dennis please sing "first time" live. That was a big hit in Philippines.

I never really did like Mr. Roboto. But, Dennis is 100% correct: The Reunion Tour was incredible. And to kick him out of Styx when he was ill was just plain stupid. They should now call themselves Stynx.

Mr. Roboto and Babe were two of the biggest hits Styx ever put out and yet they are two of the most criticized by JY and Tommy Shaw. And talk about the "catalog" of Styx... seventeen studio albums and all you hear on the radio is the same nine songs. Babe Mr. Roboto Grand Illusion Renegade Come Sail Away Two Much Time On My Hands Fooling Yourself Blue Collar Man Lady And you never hear anything after Kilroy Was Here.

I love the Styx catalog. Also I love his solo hit Desert Moon. I would love it if they reunited. But, I would love to see Dennis DeYoung in another solo concert like he did a few years back. I would not be interested is seeing Styx without him.

This has been a very interesting series, thank you John and Mr. DeYoung, stay well.

Styx was great. Paradise Theater was a great album. I loved Mr roboto.

I love Mr. Roboto! It is an AWESOME song. Epic!

Wow, I haven't heard Dennis speak so candidly for a long time. Previous interviews I've seen, he's attempted to be more diplomatic.

Can we finally dispell the mythology that Dennis ruined Styx due to his balladeering? Why does Tommy Shaw never get flak for writing sappy love tunes like "Sing for the Day" and "She Cares"? Well guess what, Styx fans have ALWAYS had room in their hearts for the love songs and the rockers. Secondly, great artists change, explore, and evolve. Whenever an artistic tangent doesn't work out, they can always go back to their roots. What's insane is, "Mr. Roboto" was wildly successful! People to this day absolutely love that song. Dennis married the styles of Styx and the new wave direction music was going in 1983 and made timeless magic! And his words couldn't be more prophetic. One can only dream how much great music we missed out on had Tommy and JY been more supportive of Dennis and the classic Styx lineup continued beyond 1983.

I love Styx, saw them 3 or 4 times, including the really fun Roboto tour 😄👍

I am a bad piano player but when I was young I taught my self how to play using styx music and notes and trying to imitate their sound. Thank you !

I honestly dig the current Styx lineup... and the new album, which is just ridiculously good. And I like Dennis' solo stuff too. Having seen lineups with and without DDY, I'd just prefer he do his solo thing and Styx do their thing. There's a totally different, fun and 'we enjoy being together' vibe onstage with Styx over the last 20 years, along with ridiculously tight, rock-performances (vs. off-Broadway stage vibes). Dennis has his own solo show he can run as the head honcho. It sounds great. I think the two acts should remain two separate acts. IMO.

Personality conflicts. They need to be a team- not be jealous of each other. Styx is a team and rock band!

Is this ever gonna be over ? Been a fan since 73, loved most all, but come on, it's been DECADES since you were really part of it ! Lawrence is great. Just enjoy what life you have left, and put this mess to bed !!!!

I don't believe that musical differences broke up the band. It was the personality differences. Dennis is so intense and talkative, and I think he grated so much over the years on JY and Tommy.

No Styx without Dennis De Young.

Styx is Dennis Deyoung and always will be Gowan will never replace Dennis wish jy and tommy would just grow up and let Dennis back in. Dennis has always taken the high road and always will ❤️ you and your music Dennis

My 7 year old son just heard Mr Roboto for his firs time, thanks to his Dad ;) He LOVED It and started dancing in his car seat.

I saw them in 1978 and they were really good....suprised me!

Dennis DeYoung...makes THE compelling argument here, for the win.

Dennis being replaced in Styx was evil. Shame on Tommy and JY!

Great interview with Dennis who spoke the truth about how "Bands" work together. I was a Styx fan before Tommy joined, he added his song writting talent to them and they grew exponentially. It's such a shame they still can't get along. Too much sueing each other over song rights ruined it bottom line.

Here is the bottom line, I loved STYX because of Denis deyoung's music. I never cared for any of the other guys' songs. So now I love Denis Deyoung.

I was a big Styx fan in the 80's and saw them in concert 3 times. Sadly, the 3rd was the Mr. Roboto tour. Watching Shaw and Young on stage, both looking like they hated being there, I knew that the band was doomed. Dennis Deyoung wrote some great songs, and he has an amazing voice, but it seemed like he wanted to front a lounge act, Shaw and Young wanted to be in a rock band.

I've been a die-hard fan of Styx since the first time I hate Lady in 1974 and have gone to so many of their shows that I lost count. I agree totally with what Dennis is saying. I love Dennis in the band and his solo career (BTW thank you Dennis for signing my Desert Moon album cover) Unfortunately I am splitting my concerts of Styx since he left. I don't think it's fair but I love Styx anyway. Like he said, they have a catalog of awesome music and the songs with him are the majority of what the band plays now. It's not the way I wanted it to go but I'll go to my grave as a #1 Styx fan!!!

I really love Dennis DeYoung, he's an amazing singer and performer, he was treated very badly by the band, Dennis DeYoung is STYX.

Styx without Dennis DeYoung is like Pink Floyd without Roger Waters. It’s Spinal Tap. It’s a cover band. They legally got the name but it’s absurd. It’s no longer Pink Floyd or Styx.

Styx was my first live concert. '79 on their Cornerstone tour when I was 13. Babe was #1. Styx were never the same after John passed away. He was the heartbeat. I believe Dennis fully. He was the chairman and cheerleader for THE BAND. Not for Dennis but , THE BAND. I miss Dennis not being in STYX. Yes , there was always some friction going on. However , one can't produce "fire" without it.

In another interview the other members called Mr Roboto "a financial disaster". That is not how I remember it all, I lived through the time. Yes it was unusual, but it had popular appeal. I bought the record a few years ago and unirocally enjoyed it, how much reminded very strongly at that time in my life when it was released.

Although Tommy Shaw is a great guitarist he has an ego problem. Damn Yankees were good but forgotten commercially..His solo albums....forgotten...Even though Kilroy was here was a klunker its grown on me over the years . I heard that album at 18..now im 58 and actually admired the construction of the album and concept. Sorry folks but Dennis DeYoung is the only reason they survived this long.

The music business, am I right? Brothers fight and some of the best music comes from that too

Who knew Mr, Roboto would have been a warning for today with transhumanism and AI becoming reality. Music is the last form of freedom of speech and they are coming for it.

I've seen Styx six times. Five with Dennis and one with Lawrence. The Paradise Theater show was easily their best. Lawrence is fine but it just isn't Styx. Same reason I won't see Journey without Steve Perry.

I've seen Styx three times without Dennis DeYoung great shows but then I seen Dennis DeYoung's show and wow he blew Styx out of the water sorry it's just my opinion though I'm allowed to have it.

Mr. Roboto was ahead of its time. Twenty years later that sound and those themes made it into mainstream pop. I was such a Styx fanboy after Paradise Theatre that 1) I maxed out my magazine mail in cassette subscription form (remember those??) as a teenager to get all the titles: Equinox, Pieces of Eight, etc. and 2) would have followed them anywhere -- JY, Tommy, Dennis writes the song, who cares, keep pouring your creativity into the music and the fans love you. What this is is ego. Conflicting self-esteems of highly talented, creative people. Also probably work fatigue. Lately JY and TS have come out and said they were on such a roll during and after Paradise that they were working 24 hours per day for years and just got burned out. This is maybe what caused DDY to fire their manager and then the others to fire DDY. Also, it creates huge strain on relationships and family and friends when someone has an illness and they cannot find out how to treat it. It makes the victims reach for all kinds of answers and potential cures, bordering often into the bizarre. This can tear people apart, because the un-afflicted do not understand what is happening with the ill person, they see the illness as theoretical, not actual. Early on TS was saying that DDY was a hypochondriac, claiming all kinds of illnesses he did not have. But I have friends who complain of CFS and fibromyalgia and they get very depressed that the docs cannot find anything wrong. So even the docs start claiming that the patient is making it up. But this industrialized and technologicalized life has lots of hidden problems -- food additives, WIFI exposure, etc -- where the long-term exposure and potential consequences are largely ignored (the Mr. Robot Complex let's call it). If you talk about these things most in society claim you are kooky, which is what JY and TS did to DDY and that tears relationships apart at the core.

I like how Dennis uses trains as a metaphor when talking about Styx.

I became interested in the band when The Grand Illusion came out, and I also picked up Pieces of Eight. I have been very fond of both ever since. More recently I picked up Equinox, mainly for "Suite Madam Blue," and the Styx II & III collection, mostly for "Lady." I mostly like the heavier music on the albums. I saw the band perform live in the summer of 2011. Now that I know that there's a new album out I'll take a look at it. I hope to see the band perform live again some time, though I won't be able to make it this year.

"Come Sail Away" was the song I first from Styx.....and it blew me away.

Dennis is talking about the Professor Of Rock who bought Kilroy album when he was 8

Dennis DeYoung is a very funny man

When Ego's become bigger than everything else nothing will last. Great Music while it lasted.

Mr. Roboto and the Kilroy album were the downfall of Styx with Dennis at the helm. Incredibly talented man but his vision with that album was blurred.

I love the song "Lady"

Recently, I watched an interview with Tommy and James. I am a huge fan of Styx from the 70's😍👍. They talked about negative criticism of Mr. Robot. To this day, I still love that song. That's when the Japanese economy grew, the popularity of Japanese techs and products hit sky-high, and everybody loved them🇯🇵, and their pop culture. The song's timing was perfect, although I didn't favor the video. Styx could create and play the music for one of the most unique fan songs in pop music history. I am sorry to hear you have been not feeling well. I still love your voice, music, performance, and Styx with Tommy, James, Chuck, John, and you.🥰🎼💖

Can't understand why so many Styx fans had a problem with 'Mr. Robato', it's a very upbeat rocker with great Styx flavor. Maybe it's because it's a bit corny being about Japanese Robots trying to stomp out Rock 'n Roll? Wasn't there a man named Maxwell with a silver hammer who came down on people's head and made sure they were dead, just down the street from 2 people doing it in the road with nobody watching them including the dead dog across the street with yellow matter custard dripping from it's eye? Don't look up but there's Lucy flying by with diamonds flying on by and over strawberry fields that go on forever split down the middle by a long and winding road? ...Point is, these are considered as some of the best songs ever written by one of the best groups of all time but to be honest, they are a bit silly. And any group will have their share of silly corny songs but it doesn't mean they are bad.

Been a fan since late 70s I would never go see them without Dennis, I would never see Journey without Steve also,,,, God Bless the 70s

I have been a Styx fan since 1973. The first song I ever heard them do was Lady.

Right before I watched this video, I watched a video of him performing Mr. Roboto live on stage, with lights, and he had no sunglasses on.

Dennis a just a classy guy. Tommy Shaw, is the biggest hypocrite, as he crispier on Robiti from the get his but….recorded it, performed it, ragged on it sbd yet, now they are playing thus “ horrible ding” they bagged on fir decades….which was a Styx classic. Dennis is just pure class like my dad was. Rare treasures.

Styx was awesome. I saw them twice in high school 1978-1980. All I can say is I loved the band. Their music is awesome and I wish they were still together, but like so many others, it seems irreconcilable differences will never allow it. I get what I can. I have tickets to a Styx/Foreigner show this summer. I wish the incomparable Dennis DeYoung was there.

A true Southsider and Roseland boy...White Sox fan.

The stories keep changing over the years, but by many accounts, Dennis was a difficult guy to get along with. If that weren't the case, then they wouldn't have wanted to go on without him. When you're ascending you can tolerate a lot of things, because you are all trying to be successful together, but after a time, you start questioning why you're doing this if you're not having fun with this person or that person, and it becomes harder to overlook differences. You can only do it 'for the fans' for so long before you become unhappy. Musical tastes change and grow and everybody is not always going to be on the same page. The split was inevitable. However it happened is their business. Dennis was out and Styx moved on and I think they are awesome and it was for the best. I'm very thankful for what they gave us together and also thankful they (Styx and Dennis) are still giving us music.

KFC doesn't taste the same since they took out some of the spices and added MSG. Back when they first kicked DeYoung out of the band, they were still using his picture on concert posters. I bought a high priced ticket to see Styx thinking DeYoung was playing with them, and they had some knockoff singer that didn't cut the mustard.

I love STYX, it was about something else!!!!

In ‘98 I got backstage and have a photo of me with one arm around Dennis and one around Tommy, that will never happen again. That was the last time Styx was fully Styx.

DDY always put on a great concert ! I really liked the song Mr.Roboto that song actually brings back memories growing up in the 80s .

I'm 63 and a life-long STYX fan with a very early start in 1974. From then until Paradise Theater, they had a great thing. Not to say that I didn't like it or Roboto. They just changed and didn't have the same ideas about what kind of music they wanted to make. Most bands that have made it this long have had many changes in their lineup artists. This interview is interesting but also watch the interview from JY and Tommy Shaw that discuss the same things. These guys did not agree on how to make their music. Conversely, there are bands like RUSH that believed in what they were doing and they were friends too. Watch Geddy Lee's interview with Dan Rather where he explains their relationships and how they stayed together for so long. While STYX remains in my top 10 bands of all time, regardless of their changes, RUSH will always be number one for me.

You and the Rest of them , started where I live!!!

Reunion! 😃

Absolutely love DDY! Keep rockin!!

Listen to a Dennis album and you see and hear Styx. His latest release is awesome. Love this series as well. Interviews aren't long dronefests.

It's. Such a shame what happend to this one time favorite band of mine. And Dennis is right, STYX had a very good run as a whole and a very impressive music catalog!

Grand Illusion is a perfect album.

Thank God for, Gowan! The last two Styx cd's are incredible!!!