STYX Member Announces Departure After 20+ Years
STYX bassist Ricky Phillips just announced his departure from the band. The 71-year-old confirmed the news that he is taking a break after a long and successful career. He has been with STYX for 21 years and added that he is just taking a break, not retiring.
He shared on social media, “Dear Friends, after touring for 50 years with THE BABYS, BAD ENGLISH, opening for Tina Turner (on the Private Dancer tour with John Parr), Belinda Carlisle’s first solo tour, rehearsing in Tahoe and recording at Little Mountain in Canada with Jimmy Page and David Coverdale and writing, touring, and co-producing 10/10 with Ronnie Montrose, to name a chosen few…I’m taking a breather.”
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He continued, “My last 20+ years of touring and recording with my friends in STYX has come to an end. I am taking a break from the road. I’m not retiring, just taking a break. Presently, I have accepted an offer to co-produce a project in a studio close to home. I’ve known since I was a kid that live performance is in my blood so, in time I will post any future engagements or commitments. But for right now, Melissa and I will share coffee talk and meals from home…with our critters close by. Of course, I will always cherish the adventurous days recording and touring with STYX. And, I will truly miss the wonderfully-crazy and faithful STYX fans…whose smiling faces I often saw more than my own family. Peace be with you all… and Happy Trails, Ricky.”
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After he made the announcement, the other members of STYX shared their own sentiments and wished him all the best. They said, “It was a joy to spend two decades with Ricky Phillips in STYX and we wish him all the best in his next adventure. He’ll always be a part of the STYX family and we’ll miss his presence on our stage and in our touring lives. With all our love, The STYX Family.”
Phillips began his career in the 1980s with the band The Babys. In 1984, he got the opportunity of a lifetime to write music for The Terminator, which opened up new opportunities for him. In the ’80s, he worked with Ted Nugent and Eddie Money. He joined together with Journey’s Jonathan Cain and put together the band Bad English. Eventually, he joined STYX in 2003 after keeping a steady music career for decades.
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