AXS TV has shared the clip below featuring Styx members Tommy Shaw, James Young and Lawrence Gowan speaking with Dan Rather about why they parted ways with their former lead singer and co-founder, Dennis DeYoung.
DeYoung's replacement, Lawrence Gowan, who joined Styx in 1999, offers the following:
"We are a great band, and what's made us great is that we are the culmination of the efforts of everyone who's ever been in the band. There's only ever been 10 members of Styx from way back in 1971. I think that#s relatively low number for a band that's been around for over half a century. And in order for a band to continue on, sometimes in life you need a blood transfusion. And although I'm Canadian, apparently I was a match (laughs)."
After a recent interview with Cleveland.com where guitarist Tommy Shaw praised the track “Best Of Times”, former Styx singer Dennis DeYoung took to social media to speak about Tommy’s positive opinion of the song saying he had “an epiphany.”
DeYoung posted:
“Hey kids,
“A quarter of a century after the fact Tommy Shaw has an epiphany. In this interview Tommy raves about ‘Best Of Times’ calling it a ‘a brilliant song’. He goes on to say that they are proud to play it.
"Well thanks, T, that's mighty kind of you. And you are correct your solo on the song is perfect. So is the one on ‘First Time’ -- you sure can pick the right notes given that are so many to choose from. I sure wish you would have invited me back this tour to sing this one, it is one of my favorites. In case you have forgotten there's a bunch more that you guys are playing that I could sing and play as well, like "Mr. Roboto'."
“I know you have been playing this one as an encore for some time. You also had very kind words for that one as well calling it ‘'a timeless song with an incredible arrangement'.’ No need for you to come up with any songs about robots when ya got that one in your arsenal don't ya know. Even though that song isn't about robots but the concerns I had regarding the technology humans could create. Thank goodness that never happened. But you know that you were there adding the vocoder to the song and that was you me an JY singing in Japanese that JY's friend's parents came up with, man we had fun doing that one. All the band members and two engineers gathered round the board, mixing it in real time, each of us with hands on knobs with individual responsibilities, a real team effort. We wanted it to sound like machines had recorded it which even dictated the way John played his drums. It was also why the guitars are underplayed. Guitars sound too human. This song was our way of saying here come the machines.
“I see you added BOT to the set up in Canada first. Wise choice since it was Number One up there. Man, I love the Canadians. If memory serves they gave us two other Number Ones – ‘Babe’ and ‘Mr. Roboto.’ And then in 2006 the magnifique Quebecers gave me and Eric La Pointe another Number One with ‘100 Beers From Now.’ Check that, it's ‘Years’ not ‘Beers.’
“It does an old guy's heart glad to know my ballads and my one foray into techno are still loved by so many of our fans. Think of me each night when the audience goes nuts over Roboto and when they get all weepy over The Best Of Times. I know they will cause I've seen it myself countless times these past 25 years.
“Cheers, Bobby Kilroy”
(Photo - Jason Powell)
