Steven Ward|Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Turn thedial to the nearest classic rock radiostation and you can bank that a Styx song is going to pop on within the hour.
The song might be the majestic"Come Sail Away," the beautiful love song"Babe" (the band's only No. 1 hit), the grandiose ballad"Lady" (the band's first hit), "The Best of Times" or maybe even the sci-fi synth classic, "Mr. Roboto" ("Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo").
All those Styx songs were written and sung by the band's co-founder and former lead singer and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung. Styx still tours today but only includes two band members from their 1975 to 1983 golden era — guitarist-singers Tommy Shaw and James "JY" Young.
Lucky for Styx fans though, DeYoung, 71, is touring the country with a stellar band and playing all those '70s and '80s hits as well as the band's classic 1977 album, "The Grand Illusion," in its entirety.
DeYoung's tour stops in Biloxi Saturday night to play the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. DeYoung took a break from songwriting and recording work on a new solo album to talk to the Clarion Ledger.
Here are 5 interesting things to know about one of the most famousvoices in classic rock.
'The Best of Times'
DeYoung has fond memories of trips to and through Mississippi during tours with Styx in the 1970s and 1980s.
The band's late drummer John Panazzo was a barbecue fanatic.
"I mean he loved barbecue. Loved it. He ate it for breakfast. Literally," DeYoung said.
The singer associates Mississippi with trips to rural barbecue joints.
"I remember pulling off the roadlooking for barbecuejoints. The kind that had these huge, 50-gallon drum pits. I remember sitting on wooden benches and eating that Mississippi barbecue," he said.
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'Babe'
DeYoung has been married to his wife, Suzanne DeYoung, since 1970. He married his high school sweetheart before Styx recorded their first album.
"Babe" from 1979 was written as a birthday present for his wife and not meant for the band to record. It turned out to be the band's only No. 1 song.
When asked about the secret to a long-lasting marriage, DeYoung quipped, "how the hell do I know? We've been married since the stone age."
'Domo Arigato Mr. Robto'
Maybe you remember "Mr. Roboto" from Styx's last platinum album from the band's classic lineup, 1983's "Kilroy Was Here." Maybe you remember the video from MTV with the robot masks and the catchy part Japanese chorus. You may just remember the super cool TV commercial for a Volkswagen Golf that used the song.
Either way, "Mr. Roboto" and "Kilroy Was Here" was DeYoung's shot at creating something different for the band— a risky, cinematic concept album about fascism and the outlawing of rock and roll.
If you missed the theatrical tour, the band recorded it in April 1983 at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans and released it as a live album and concert video called "Caught in the Act." That album and video was the only Styx concert filmed and recorded by the classic five-member lineup.
'Show Me the Way'
DeYoung's keyboard work in Styx, whether it was his gorgeous grand piano work or his signature progressive rocksynthesizer soloing, sprang from an unusual training ground.
"I studied the accordion for eight years. That's what I played. So my solos on synthesizers, those trills and runs, that came from playing the accordion," DeYoung said.
DeYoung loved Keith Emerson from Emerson Lake and Palmer, Jon Lord from Deep Purple and Rick Wakeman from Yes.
"I nicked all of them," DeYoung said.
When asked if he plays the accordion today. DeYoung, always the jokester, answers, "only when I'm trying to get my wife out of the house."
'Come Sail Away'
DeYoung and his band play the 1977 Styx album, "The Grand Illusion" in its entiretyduring the current tour. DeYoung believes "The Grand Illusion" is Styx's best album, all five members working on all cylinders and at their creative zenith. Following the album, his band launches into Styx's greatest hits.
Those songs are the reason he still plays live today.
"It's all about the song. The melody. Melody is what people love about the music, not the lyrics. They might remember the first two or three lines of songs but it's the melody that no one ever forgets," DeYoung said.
"People will come up to me and tell me how much they love the songs and the feelings the songs conjure up. Just remember, all of this, in theend,is about the joy of the music," DeYoung said.
IF YOU GO:
What: Dennis DeYoung: The Grand Illusion 40th AnniversaryAlbum Tour
When: Saturday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Biloxi
Tickets: Start at $25. Available via ticketmaster.com
