James Young of Styx — Still a Renegade
James 'JY' Young has been rockin’ and touring for decades with the band he helped found. He catches us up on their latest.
When you ask James "JY" Young, a founding member of the Grammy award-nominated band, Styx, how he keeps touring and performing night after night practically all year long, he pauses for a minute.
"I find some fans that are excited in the crowd, and I just kind of focus on them," says Young, 74. "I love what I do for a living. Styx has always been a collaborative effort."
And they still have fun.
The Band's Beginnings
Although Young helped start Styx in 1972, he was in a band before that called The Catalinas, which refers to the cars built by Pontiac from 1950 through the early '80s.
While The Catalinas didn't last, Young was determined he'd be in a band that would. "I was just driven towards success," he says.
"I settled on the guitar, and by age 17, I started playing eight hours a day."
He admits that growing up, he was an anomaly because he was promoted twice in grade school. As a result, everyone in class was older. He said that none of the girls wanted anything to do with him because he was younger.
So Young, who came from a musical family, got a guitar and decided he'd learn to play it.
Armed with a Beatles songbook, and long summer days in 1964 laying out ahead of him, Young decide he would just play and play and play.
"My dad was a great piano player, but he played by ear. My aunt was a church organist. There was a lot of musical talent in our family," says Young. "I settled on the guitar, and by age 17, I started playing eight hours a day."
All his hard work paid off. After mastering the guitar, Young and his brother, who played bass, formed a band — the aforementioned Catalinas.
That band, Young says, evolved into another band called Monterey Hand. While Young played in the band, he was simultaneously earning his degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).
"My parents wanted me to have a college degree, but doing something that I might be able to use in business going beyond that."
Monterey Hand broke up when two members left to become Jehovah's Witnesses.
Young ended up joining another band called TW, which also included Dennis DeYoung, Chuck Panozzo, John Panozzo and John Curulewski. This ensemble would become the first incarnation of the band Styx.
"They were used to having two guitar players; they were playing a lot of shows, and they were making money. It was a way I could make money," says Young. As for his aerospace degree, he admits that there wasn't a huge industry for it in the 1960s, and he didn't want to work in the field anyway.
"My parents wanted me to have a college degree, but doing something that I might be able to use in business going beyond that," he says.
Styx fans are glad he chose music over rocket science.
Styx Today
Young says that he loves the lineup of the band today.
"We might have the greatest drummer on the planet with Todd Sucherman. He's somebody to get excited about because he's been voted the best drummer in all these different magazines. His dad was a drummer, who played with Benny Goodman back in the 1920s," says Young.
As for what has kept him going with continuous touring, Young jokes, "The desperate need for attention!"
"Lawrence Gowan plays keyboards and sings. He's amazing, and he's a great showman. He's very clever and has taken over as MC in introducing the band," he continues. "Ricky Phillips is Cool Hand Luke. That's how I think about him. And Chuck Panozzo on bass, who's been with Styx from the start."
"Tommy Shaw is a musical force. He's an incredible acoustic player, which I am not. I suck on the acoustic guitar," says Young with a laugh.
As for what has kept him going with continuous touring, Young jokes, "The desperate need for attention!"
Young said that the band tries to have the fewest conflicts over small stuff when they're touring, as traveling together on a bus over a long period of time can cause stress. "I avoid conflict at all costs, because all it does is take the joy out of the whole thing," he admits. "Ultimately, we work together wonderfully as a team."
What's Next for Styx
From January 26 to February 3, 2024, Styx will play a residency at the Venetian Theatre in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
"They're not just the baby boomers, which was our prime audience. But they're bringing their kids and their grandkids. They're all singing our songs."
"Our residency at The Venetian is just a great opportunity for us to go into a room that is really meant for performing concerts. And in Vegas, we can do four or five shows in a row without travel," says Young. "It's great for the band because we've gotten really used to the Venetian Theatre. We end up better rested and that makes it easier for us to get out and do what we do. The fans have told us they love seeing us play there, and we love it too."
During their performances in Las Vegas, fans will see only Styx, as they won't have an opening act.
Young says, "Fans can look forward to hearing some of our new songs from our last couple of albums, "Crash of the Crown" and "The Mission," which were produced by Will Evankovich, our newest band member (he plays mandolin and guitars). And, of course, our fans will be hearing us play some of our classics such as 'Renegade,' 'Come Sail Away,' 'Too Much Time On My Hands,' and many others."
If you think they can't top their Vegas show, Styx recently announced that they'll be touring with icons Foreigner and also special guest John Waite. These two powerhouse bands are teaming up this summer, and kicking off their tour on June 11 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What amazes Young at this stage in his life is how their crowds have become all-ages. "They're not just the baby boomers, which was our prime audience. But they're bringing their kids and their grandkids. They're all singing our songs," says Young.
"It's subjective to say our music is more lasting because there are a number of bands with really lasting music. But I think there's something about our live performance. On the stage, I stand back in awe."
