Whatever Happened to Styx Vocalist Dennis DeYoung?

For many rock fans, Dennis DeYoung remains one of the most recognizable voices of ’70s and ’80s classic rock. As a founding member of Styx, DeYoung served as the band’s primary lead vocalist, keyboardist and chief songwriter during its most commercially successful years. Born February 18, 1947, in Chicago, DeYoung turns 79 this year, and while he has largely stepped away from touring, his career has remained active well into the past decade. In honor of his birthday, let’s go over his accomplishments and find out what he’s been up to recently.

Where did Dennis DeYoung get his start?

Before Styx became famous, DeYoung worked as a music teacher in the south suburbs of Chicago while performing locally with bandmates Chuck and John Panozzo. That group, which evolved through several name changes, officially became Styx in 1972 after signing a record deal.

From the start of the band’s breakthrough, DeYoung emerged as its creative center, writing seven of Styx’s eight Billboard Top 10 singles, including “Lady,” “Come Sail Away,” “Babe,” “The Best of Times,” “Mr. Roboto,” “Show Me the Way” and “Don’t Let It End.” His songwriting style leaned heavily into theatrical rock, combining synthesizers and piano.

Throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, DeYoung’s influence shaped the band’s direction, resulting in the concept albums Paradise Theatre (1981) and Kilroy Was Here (1983). While both albums were commercially successful, creative tensions emerged within the band, particularly over the album Kilroy Was Here, and guitarist Tommy Shaw departed in 1984. With Styx dissolved, DeYoung launched a solo career, scoring a Top 10 hit in 1984 with “Desert Moon,” the only solo single by any Styx member to reach that level on the Billboard Hot 100.

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DeYoung continued recording and touring through the late ’80s and early ’90s, including a partial Styx reunion that produced the 1990 album Edge of the Century. The DeYoung-written “Show Me the Way” became a Top 3 hit and gained widespread attention during the Persian Gulf War when radio stations paired the song with news audio from Congress. That reunion was short-lived, and Styx disbanded again in 1992.

In the mid ’90s, DeYoung shifted much of his focus toward musical theater. He appeared in the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar as Pontius Pilate and made his Broadway debut in 1994. He also wrote the book and score for a stage adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which premiered in Chicago in 2008 and won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Musical.

DeYoung reunited with Styx again in the mid ’90s, contributing to the successful Return to Paradise tour and live album. However, health issues in 1998 delayed his participation in plans for a new tour, and the band moved forward without him in 1999, replacing him with Lawrence Gowan. Legal disputes followed over the use of the Styx name, eventually resulting in a settlement that allowed the band to continue under that name while limiting how DeYoung could reference it in promotional materials. Since that split, a full reunion has been consistently ruled out by current members.

Where is Dennis DeYoung now?

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From the early 2000s onward, DeYoung toured under the banner “The Music of Styx,” often performing with full symphony orchestras and later with a dedicated rock band. These performances formed the basis for live releases, including The Music of Styx – Live with Symphony Orchestra and Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx Live in Los Angeles. He also made occasional television appearances and had a small acting role in the 2005 film The Perfect Man.

In 2020, DeYoung released 26 East, Vol. 1, his first studio album in more than a decade, followed by 26 East, Vol. 2 in 2021, which he has described as his final studio album. The records featured guest appearances from artists including Julian Lennon, Tom Morello and Jim Peterik.

In 2022, Styx was inducted into the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum Hall of Fame, with DeYoung receiving a separate induction as a songwriter. In 2023, Primary Wave acquired publishing rights to much of his songwriting catalog. DeYoung remains married to his wife, Suzanne, whom he wed in 1970, and they have two children.

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