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Many classic rock-era bands have found second lives and extended careers by taking their shows on the road, but Styx not only survived the departure of two key members – Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw – but reformed and thrived.

Styx became a year-round touring act in 1999 and in the intervening years has created a well-oiled machine and learned the fine art of balancing personalities, crew schedules and creating opportunities to keep the performances and music fresh. It’s a model that could be unique in the concert business.

Certainly, it could be emulated by any artist hoping to have a career last decades. Moderator Danny Zelisko, whom the band credits with being one of the promoters who unfailingly believed in it over the course of some 40 years, led the discussion with Styx manager Charlie Brusco of Red Light Management, agent Rod Essig of Creative Artists Agency, tour manager George Packer and band members John “JY” Young, Shaw (who returned to the band 20 years ago), and Lawrence Gowan.

Styx had its greatest success in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, but had been inactive for some time when its record label decided to issue a greatest hits album but couldn’t get permission to add “Lady” to the record. Young called Shaw, who had just wrapped a tour with Damn Yankees, to see if he’d be interested in re-recording the track for the album.

Read more at PollStarPro.com!

By: Deborah Speer

Photo By: Jason Powell

So I’m really into Styx and always have been. Luckily I was able to score an interview with vocalist Lawrence Gowan in preparation for their upcoming show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Casino. Gowan joined the band in 1999 to serve as vocalist and keyboards.

You had a pretty successful career in Canada prior to Styx.

Gowan: Yeah, I know it still comes as a surprise to a lot of people in the states because my records weren’t released here. I had a deal with Columbia Records, where it seemed like it didn’t matter how many records I sold or multi-platinum records or how many number ones I had, I just couldn’t get a release here. It’s the way the music industry was then … just because there was an act that was huge in England, it din’t mean that they would necessarily come out in America. Some did and some didn’t, and I fell into that category.

But at the same time, I had a great 14-year career playing my solo stuff and going back and forth across Canada. … But it never went on a national thing. … You have to look at it as a little bit of a blessing in disguise, that it was probably … due to the fact that I had a long career that they became aware of, because they were incredibly popular there. And when when we did shows together, they saw firsthand … how I could fit in and be part of Styx.

You had a very successful career already and were still enjoying different facets of your career when the Styx thing happened. So you were like here’s this really established band and what do I want to do here.

Funny thing. It wasn’t the slam decision that some people might think. It just so happens, the way things were unfolding in the late 90s, I was going to England a lot and was playing there and I’d just come back from a tour (opening for a band called the Stranglers). … About halfway through the tour, I would go up onstage during their encore and play guitar or something along with the encore song. And my publicist there mentioned to me, “You know, what’s likely to happen with your career, internationally speaking, is that some band is going to need a lead singer.” She mentioned the fact that she was doing a tour with Brian May in the fall and she was like, “If I get you on that tour, who knows, who knows … you never know what that could lead to.”

So she started putting that idea in my head and, at the time, I didn’t think it made much sense because, as you say, I had a long established tour as a solo artist. But my mind opened up to it and, when I got the call from James Young and Tommy Shaw, I just thought the world was trying to say something. And I listened to Styx and I really enjoyed their show and the shows that we did together. I just thought I could see myself fitting into this band. So on the one hand, I thought seriously about it and, on the other hand, I was like “Who the hell would say no to this?”

Read more at Examiner-Enterprise.com!

By: Tim Hudson

Photo By: Jason Powell

An authoritative hard rock wrecking crew will soon be traveling across North America towards an amphitheater near you. The announcement that the members of Styx will accompany hard rockers Tesla in support of Def Leppard during their upcoming summer tour has been met which much excitement from dedicated listeners, in what is quickly being considered one of this year’s most anticipated treks.

Styx certainly aren’t strangers when it comes to impressive summer tours, having just last year hit the road alongside Foreigner and Don Felder for an extensive headlining run, however this is bound to be one of the most memorable tours in the band’s history. This formidable power trio will begin their five month sprint with a June 23 performance in Tampa, Florida, before continuing across the remainder of the United States and Canada.

Music Enthusiast recently sat down with Styx bassist Ricky Phillips for an exclusive interview discussing the band’s upcoming tour, what he enjoys most about performing live, his thoughts on the group’s latest studio efforts, his stance towards new material, and his ongoing work on the final Ronnie Montrose recordings.

William Clark: Let’s start with the popular topic of the week: it’s been announced that Styx will head on tour with Def Leppard and Tesla this summer! Are you personally looking forward to the tour?

Ricky Phillips: Oh yeah! We haven’t toured with Def Leppard in quite a while, but we did go out with them for several legs about five years ago, and for me it’s a lot of fun because Sav [Rick Savage] and Joe [Elliott] and I play a little bit of golf on days off and get away from the hotels and concrete. We just love those guys, it’s a good time. The two bands really get along well, and the music seems to get along very well. I think Tesla was a good add to that, as well. We’ve done shows with Tesla and it’s a good pallet, you know? It’s a really good compliment of music for the evening. We were busy when we first heard about it, we were doing a bunch of shows and didn’t really have time to digest it, but thinking about it over this past week now that it’s hitting the airwaves that we’re doing this tour, it really sounds like it’s going to be a great night of music.

Read more at musicenthusiastmag.com!

Written By: William Clark

– Styx and Tesla Set To Join The Tour As Special Guests –

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 12, 2015) – Def Leppard returns to the road this summer for an extensive North American tour. The Live Nation-promoted tour hitting nearly 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada will kick off on June 23 in Tampa, Fla. at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre. Joining Def Leppard on their massive summer outing are rockers Styx and Tesla. Please see full tour routing below. Citi® cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday,Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete pre-sale details, visitwww.citiprivatepass.com. General tickets for the tour go on sale starting Friday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. onwww.livenation.com. Please see below for full details and on sale information.

Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum

albums—including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria, capturing the group’s legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as “Rock of Ages,” Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Foolin.” The upcoming tour follows on the heels of the band’s massive 2014 co-headlining tour with KISS, last summer.

2015 TOUR DATES

All dates, venues and cities below subject to change. All shows on sale Feb. 20 unless otherwise noted.

June 23 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

June 25 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre

June 27 Birmingham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

June 28 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood (on sale Feb. 21)

June 30 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion (on sale Feb. 21)

July 02 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live (on sale March 6)

July 03 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

July 05 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena (on sale Feb. 21)

July 07 Gilford, NH Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook*

July 09 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center (on sale Feb. 21)

July 11 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (on sale Feb. 21)

July 12 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

July 14 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre (on sale Feb. 21)

July 17 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 23 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater (on sale Feb. 28)

July 24 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

July 25 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center (on sale Feb. 28)

August 08 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena

August 11 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre

August 14 Sedalia, MO Missouri State Fair*

August 15 Des Moines, IA Iowa State Fair*

August 17 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

August 18 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

August 21 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion

August 22 Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

August 23 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater

August 27 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair*

August 28 Grand Forks, ND Alerus Center

August 30 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center

September 01 Allentown, PA The Great Allentown Fair*

September 03 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center*

September 04 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (on sale Feb. 21)

September 05 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

September 16 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater (on sale Feb. 21)

September 17 Ridgefield, WA Amphitheater Northwest (on sale Feb. 21)

September 19 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

September 22 Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre

September 23 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion

September 25 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater

September 26 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

September 28 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheater

September 30 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena*

October 2 Bozeman, MT Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

October 4 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center*

*-Non Live Nation Date

About Def Leppard:

Def Leppard--Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage(bass) and Rick Allen (drums)—continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, the group’s spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. For the past thirty years the band’s epic live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.

For more information on Def Leppard’s US tour and tickets please visit the band’s web site at

www.defleppard.com

www.twitter.com/def_leppard

https://www.facebook.com/defleppard

About Styx:

Spawned from a Chicago basement in the early ‘70s, STYX would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late '70s and early '80s, due to a fondness for big rockers and soaring

power ballads. Over the course of their 38-year career they’ve released 15 studio albums, six best-

of compilations and four live albums, garnering eight Top Ten singles. STYX has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Throughout their illustrious career, they’ve performed more live shows since 1999 than all of the previous years of its career combined. Two Super-Bowl appearances, Pollstar box office chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon and Bad Company (to name only a few), two more studio albums and no end in sight, STYX continues to conquer the planet, one

www.styxworld.com

www.facebook.com/styxtheband

www.twitter.com/styxtheband

www.instagram.com/styxtheband

About Tesla:

TESLA -- Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitar), Brian Wheat (bass guitar), Dave Rude (guitar) andTroy Luccketta (drums)— One of Rock n Roll's most respected bands, multi-platinum sellers TESLA have remained true to their "no frills" style since the first day they hit the music scene nearly 30 years ago. Their catalog reads like a soundtrack to the lives of a generation of fans worldwide. With their latest chart topping release "SIMPLICITY" they have proven they are a band that continues to consistently deliver energetic, hard-driving, blues-based rhythms with thought-provoking lyrics that die-hard fans expect and today's generation craves.

www.facebook.com/Teslatheband

www.twitter.com/teslalive

www.youtube.com/teslatheband

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Follow us @twitter.com/LiveNationInc

SOURCE: Live Nation Entertainment

After spending last year on the road as special guests for Kiss, Def Leppard will be back atop the bill this summer and taking Styx and Tesla along for the ride, Billboard is exclusively announcing.

The 48-date tour kicks off June 23 in Tampa, Fla., running through Oct. 4 in Bismarck, N.D. And Def Lep frontman Joe Elliott tells Billboard that it will be a band-of-brothers situation.

"We've toured with both of these bands before," Elliott says. "Styx is a great bunch of guys and as American as mom's apple pie all the way through. And we had Tesla on board when we did the Hysteria tour back in '87; they were out for at least six or seven months with us before they went off to do their own thing. So it'll be a great time on stage and backstage, I think."

Elliott adds that, "We've always been keen on taking out bands that people know. It's done us a world of good to go out with a name on the poster that doesn't just say, 'Plus special guest...' We've tried it; We had Tripping Daisy in the '90s, who were great people to work with but nobody knew who they were, and it didn't make for a great evening of anticipation, if you like. People would go, 'Who's this lot onstage?' Nobody's going to go see Tesla and Styx and not know who they are. They're going to say, 'I know all those guys and all those songs. That's a show I want to see.'"

Read more at Billboard.com

Written By: Gary Graff

Styx will be performing a series of concerts at the Shermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 19, 20 and 21, with the Nashville Symphony. In 2006 Styx took the stage with the Cleveland Contemporary Youth Orchestra backing them up. That original performance was recorded and released on CD and DVD as a project called “One With Everything.”

Styx has been a non-stop, working, touring rock and roll band for years now, playing a steady schedule of concerts all around the United States and the rest of the world. They’ve played in every venue size imaginable, from the smallest club in Aspen, Colo. to two separate Super Bowls. This special Nashville series of performances is going to be unique in its structure, stage and musical arrangement.

With the Nashville dates coming up, the bassist for Styx, Ricky Phillips, took a few minutes to talk with TAM about the show, what goes into it, and life on the road.

The Nashville shows with the Nashville Symphony is going to be a cool event for Styx fans. What kind of show can they expect?

Well, it’s really hard to describe, but it will be something that they won’t forget. Styx music with a symphony orchestra really works nicely in tandem with one another. We’ve done it once before with the Cleveland Youth Symphony and we actually made a DVD of that which is out. We’ve had really nice arrangements made, which are sometimes preludes to the actual song. Styx music just lends itself so nicely to all aspects of a symphony, not just string, but woodwinds and brass. For us, it’s just a blast to hear it. It adds this dimension that makes the song so huge. It’s something you really have to hear.

The thing about Styx music is that it’s not just straight 4/4 rock beats. There’s things in 3/4, 7/8 5/6 time… whatever. The band as a writing force is clever enough to write material that seems like nice little pop songs for radio, but underneath, musicians kinda know what’s really going on there. That translates so well with a symphony orchestra.

Read more at targetaudiencemagazine.com!

Written By Tillman Cooper

Check out this great interview with Lawrence Gowan on Ray Steele WIBC-FM based in Indianapolis, IN. Click the song link above to listen, or follow the link below!

Ray Steele WIBC-FM

Congratulations to Jerome Bettis on his nomination into the NFL Hall of Fame!

Everyone knows "Renegade" is the battle cry for the Pittsburg Steelers. Click below to see a video of Jerome Bettis set to the Styx classic!

www.steelers.com

Palm Springs once drew Styx's Tommy Shaw in like a magnet.

“It’s a hypnotic, mesmerizing place — so different from where I grew up,” says Shaw about Palm Springs. “I was born and raised in Montgomery, Ala., with no mountains of any significance near where I lived. The air had lots of humidity, and no palm trees. So it was a special thing for me to go out to this beautiful place in the desert, surrounded by mountains that changed color, and experience the different picture I would get standing outside as I looked 360 degrees at these beautiful mountains all day long. I loved the way the sun moved, and how the shadows were different every time I would look at them. That’s how I remember Palm Springs. I had so many nice times out there, and met so many nice people.”

The desert still calls out to Shaw, who with Styx will perform Jan. 24 at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

Shaw, the singer/songwriter/guitarist behind such perennial Styx hits as Renegade, Blue Collar Man, Crystal Ball, and Too Much Time on My Hands, recently spoke to Palm Springs Life about his many personal experiences in the Coachella Valley over the years.

Styx has always connected with audiences in a big way, becoming the first band ever to rack up four consecutive multi-platinum-selling albums: The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces of Eight (1978), Cornerstone (1979), and Paradise Theater (1981). In the wake of all that early success, some Styx band members were looking for a way to escape the big city and music business pressures, and Palm Springs happened to fit that bill.

Read more at palmspringslife.com!

Written By: Mike Mettler

After two decades of living in Los Angeles and touring around the world, Tommy and Jeanne Shaw were ready to return to their Southern roots. For years, the couple—he grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and she in Clarksville—had been checking on real estate in the Nashville area, waiting for the right time and place. In 2011, Tommy, the guitarist and singer for Styx, recorded his first solo bluegrass album here and fell in love with the city’s energy. Two years later, the Shaws sold their L.A. compound and bought a home in Oak Hill.

Tucked off the road, the 11,000-square-foot property sits on a four-and-a-half-acre lot that includes a pond, pool, and garden, providing just the sort of tranquil setting the couple was craving in contrast to their jet-set lifestyle (Tommy performed more than 100 shows last year). At first, they were overwhelmed by the size. Jeanne says she didn’t even want to look at it, but after viewing 50 houses, she decided to give it a chance. They loved the vibe of the home, which once belonged to disco legend Donna Summer. Even though it needed a complete overhaul, the Shaws paid homage to Summer by keeping certain design elements on display.

Jeanne, who oversees Styx merchandise and helps with Rock to the Rescue, a nonprofit founded by Styx and REO Speedwagon and run by Tommy’s daughter, Hannah, has renovated 18 homes in their 21 years together, ranging from a mobile home on the beach to multimillion dollar estates. The result of her most recent project is a collection of distinct rooms that flow easily and are constantly put to use.

See more of Tommy's home at nashvillelifestyles.com!

Written By: Suzanne Corey

Photos By: Shannon Fontaine

There was an old music industry saying that prophesied doom for those without recent chart success. “You’re only as good as your last hit song,” the saying went. But that phrase was coined when rock was still a relatively new phenomena. It hadn’t yet stood the test of time, and some thought it would eventually just go away, sort of like the vaudeville genre of the early 20th Century. This was long before the Rolling Stones continued on to tour as 70-somethings, and even before the Who did their “Farewell” tour back in 1981.

Now, happily, we know that rock goes on, and great bands -- not to mention great songs -- will still fill concert venues, even many a long year after said artist’s last chart-topper. The classic rock acts of the ‘70s and ‘80s are perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of the general public’s ongoing hunger for great concerts -- especially those where the artists actually play their instruments live. And Styx, who most definitely rock the stage live, are one of those beneficiaries.

The packed concert venues the band visited throughout the past year, on their own and in a very successful summer 2014 tour with Foreigner and former-Eagle Don Felder, were filled with thousands of raucous, diehard Styx fans, including many actually younger than the band’s hit songs. So whether you discovered the band in your youth via Youtube, or in your youth before the Internet was even a twinkle in Al Gore's eye, know that the members of Styx are rockin’ as hard as ever, and proud of it.

Read more at Guitar.com

By: Adam St. James

Styx filmed their next concert DVD in Las Vegas last summer, but we probably shouldn’t feel special.

Sure the classic rockers play here at least once a year. Though they haven’t scored a multinight residency like their friends in Journey are set to do the Hard Rock Hotel, it’s hard to think of many bands that have played as many single-night Las Vegas dates in the past few years.

But then they get on the bus and go play another town.

“I’m the new guy, and I’ve done probably 1,300 or 1,400 shows with the band,” says bassist Ricky Phillips, who recently rolled into his 12th year with the Chicago-born rockers.

“It’s not the record industry anymore. It’s the touring industry. Music is free,” he says of the road-dog philosophy.

So Styx has been releasing concert DVDs instead of albums. Their part of “The Soundtrack of Summer” tour (as well as Don Felder’s) was filmed at the Orleans Arena in late July for AXS TV and home video. Phillips says the band is close to signing off on the final mix and edit, though a release date hasn’t been set.

By Mike Weatherford

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Read more HERE!

Dressed in winter clothing and in heavy-duty sleeping bags, two women from Wichita, Kansas, spent all of Thursday sitting outside the entrance to Belly Up.

They drove 11 1/2 hours to see Styx, their favorite band, play the club Thursday night. General admission tickets wouldn’t guarantee them a spot right in front of the stage, so they braved temperatures in the teens to ensure the best vantage point for the show.

Judy Hiser and Stephanie Waldeck have been best friends for 26 years. They’ve been traveling to Styx shows together since 1996, the year the band launched its “Return to Paradise” tour — its first tour after the band got back together in 1995.

Thursday night’s show marked Hiser’s 101st Styx concert, while Waldeck estimated it was her 106th or 107th.

Read more about these awesome Styx fans at the aspentimes.com!

Article and Photo By: Lauren Glendenning

MUNCIE – For a Scottish vocalist and keyboard player who makes his home in Canada, Lawrence Gowan is pretty familiar with the rock music capitals of the Midwest.

"We've done Chicago, Evansville, the Quad Cities, all over Ohio and Indiana," Gowan said in a phone interview with The Star Press last week. "It's a Midwest-birthed band."

The band is Styx, born in Chicago in 1972 and notable for a string of hits that have been in constant rotation on home record players, radio station turntables and MTV (at least back in the day, when MTV played music) for decades.

Gowan has been, since 1999, a lead vocalist and keyboard player for the band, which saw a divisive split between the hard-rockin' "Renegade" roots of Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young and bandmates and the "Mr. Roboto" operatic ideal of former lead singer Dennis DeYoung.

"What's kept the band going, we're the culmination of everybody who's been in the band," Gowan said. "Members I never met are integral into what the band is now."

The band will perform Friday, Feb. 13 at Emens Auditorium.

Read more at thestarpress.com!

Written By: Keith Roysdon

"The 4th Annual Ultimate Classic Rock Awards for 2014’s Tour of the Year features many of the biggest acts ever to grace a concert stage...

The Soundtrack of Summer tour, which packaged Foreigner, Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, crisscrossed the U.S. from mid-May through late-July. Felder opened each show, with the other two switching spots on a nightly basis. The tour gained national headlines in Philadelphia when two of the tour buses caught fire while in a parking lot. They thanked the Philadelphia Fire Department by donating $10,000 to the department’s Widows Fund."

Vote for Styx, Foreigner and Don Felders' Soundtrack Of Summer Tour at UltimateClassicRock.com!

Today marks the one-year anniversary since devastating tornadoes crashed through central Illinois. Illinois has always been a home for us, and it was important to us and our friends in REO Speedwagon to give back to a state that has given so much to us all. Today, we received a video of Central Illinois showing it’s resilience one year later. Through concert ticket sales for a great show with many friends on December 4, 2013, Rock to the Rescue was able to write a check for over $400,000 to various central Illinois organizations in need. Thank you fans, for always rising to the challenge and supporting Rock to the Rescue efforts.

Today is a special day as we celebrate the birth of guitarist and founding member James Young. Please find below a special birthday treat as "Happy Birthday" is sung to him the the tune of your favorite Styx songs. James also was interviewed this morning on the Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show on Q104.3 and you can find the full interview here! Happy Birthday JY!

Rock & Roll legends Styx played the MontBleu Theater inside the MontBleu Resort Tahoe to a completely sold out audience of die-hard fans. There was not an empty spot in the entire 3,000+ seat venue, the place was packed.

Styx is an American rock band from Chicago that became famous for its albums from the mid-1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for melding the style of pop rock with the power of hard-rock guitar, strong ballads and elements of international musical theater.

Members of the band include, James "J.Y." Young (guitar, backing and lead vocals, additional keyboards), Tommy Shaw (guitar, lead and backing vocals, mandolin, autoharp), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Lawrence Gowan (lead and backing vocals, keyboards, additional guitar), Ricky Phillips (bass, backing vocals, additional guitar) and Chuck Panozzo (bass, backing vocals, bass pedals). Panozzo only plays on select shows due to health reasons.

The set lasted 90 minutes and went like this,

"The Grand Illusion", "Too Much Time On My Hands", "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)", "Lady", "Light Up", "Miss America", "Crystal Ball", "Walrus", "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", "Come Sail Away", "Gowan Melody" and two encore songs, "Rockin' The Paradise" and "Renegade".

Read more and see photos at examiner.com!

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES ANNOUNCES SPRING 2015

‘CARNIVAL LIVE CONCERT SERIES’ARTIST LINEUP

Best of Live Music at Sea Program to Feature Journey, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town,

Smokey Robinson and Styx With Additional Artists to be Announced Next Year

MIAMI (October 9, 2014) – Cruising has never sounded so good! Today Carnival Cruise Lines unveiled its new Carnival LIVE Concert Series roster for spring 2015, bringing more of the best live music to sea from some of most popular and highly requested music acts. Coming on board in the first part of next year will be Journey, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Smokey Robinson, and Styx, back by popular demand for the second season.

The exciting 2015 Carnival LIVE concert lineup continues this one-of-a-kind entertainment option, while building on the success of an inaugural year of high-energy, sold-out on-board performances. In addition to this incredible mix of GRAMMY® Award- and CMA Award-winning artists and nominees, next year the company will announce even more acts scheduled for the latter half of 2015.

Carnival LIVE was created to give guests the opportunity to experience exclusive live entertainment from major music artists, all at a tremendous value and with great convenience. Guests attend shows in the ship’s main theaters – which range in seating capacity from 900 to 1,300 – for an intimate on-board performance where there is never a bad seat in the house.

“Our 2014 Carnival LIVE shows have been tour standouts, so we are thrilled to get on board again to rock the boat next year,” said Tommy Shaw, singer and guitarist for Styx. “The audience of cruisers in a vacation state-of-mind combined with the ship’s theater design creates an incredible energy that’s fun for everyone, including the band.”

Guests will have even more Carnival vessels, homeports and itineraries to choose from with a total of 10 “Fun Ships” departing from six convenient U.S. homeports hosting concerts in spring 2015. Carnival LIVE voyages will originate in Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Fla; Charleston, S.C.; and, for the first time, Galveston, Texas, the line’s second largest homeport.

The 2015 Carnival LIVE Concert Series kicks off next March and features one or more major artist each month, performing multiple shows on Carnival vessels docked in one of three ports of call: Cozumel, Nassau and a new port for the program, St. Thomas. Artists board the ship in port, perform in the main show lounge, and then debark following the concert.

• Journey kicks off the 2015 roster with two rock anthem-filled performances on March 18 and 19 in St. Thomas.
• The award-winning Little Big Town brings their unmistakable sound to “Fun Ships” in Nassau for three appearances on (March 30 and 31 and April 1).
• Guests “Cruisin’” to see Smokey Robinson sing timeless classics from his 50-year music career can catch the icon April 21, 22 and 23 in Cozumel.
• In May, country trio Rascal Flatts, one of the top-selling live artists in any genre, will perform a series of three shows for guests in Cozumel (May 5, 6 and 7).
• Rock fans are invited to “Come Sail Away” to see one of four Styx concerts to be performed in Nassau (June 16, 17, 18 and 20).

“We are thrilled to continue our Carnival LIVE Concert Series in 2015 and welcome aboard more fantastic rock, country and R&B artists for our guests to enjoy,” said Mark Tamis, senior vice president of guest operations for Carnival Cruise Lines. “This program has struck a chord based on more than 20,000 tickets sold to date and the tremendous response from past guests and travel agent partners as well as those who sailed with us for the first time to catch their favorite performers.”

Carnival LIVE tickets for 2015 range from $35 to $60 for general admission, significantly less than land-based concerts. VIP tickets are available for $125 to $250, offering fans seating in the first four rows, an artist meet and greet, a souvenir photo and a commemorative concert pass.

For a calendar of spring 2015 Carnival LIVE concerts and to learn more about the Carnival LIVE sailings this fall featuring Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Jewel, Daughtry and more, visitwww.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL.

Carnival can be found on:

Web: www.carnival.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise

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ARDMORE It was 1975 when a newcomer rock band hit the stage in Ardmore. Two DJ's, Michael Story and Joe Popkess planned and promoted the concert.

Tickets sold for five dollars or six at the door.

Styx played on August 12, 1975, at the Ardmore Civic Auditorium, now known as Heritage Hall.

And nearly 40 years later, they're back.

"Lady," by the rock band Styx had just hit the airwaves in Chicago when the band came to Ardmore for the first time.

Original promoter Joe Popkess has since left the business but his cousin Aubry Harris followed in his footsteps.

Harris says he is amazed that 39 years later people are still rocking out to Styx.

"Styx is definitely a classic rock band from the past that is still in the future as well,” Harris said. “I mean people love their hits and you know people keep remembering their hits and coming out."

Read mroe and watch the video at kxii.com!

Two weeks ago I was given an opportunity to interview Lawrence Gowan, one of the members of the classic-rock band Styx. The group, famous for songs like “Renegade,” “The Best of Times” and “Come Sail Away,” is on tour again this fall and is performing in Macon, Georgia on Sunday, October 5th. The Target Audience Magazine interview with Lawrence can be found here, and focuses on Styx’s seemingly non-stop tour of the world.

I’ve been a Styx fan for over 30 years and can say, without any exaggeration, that their songs were the foundation of what would become my diverse and slightly odd taste in music. My first real interest in Styx can all be traced back to a summer in the 1970’s, before I started fourth grade. A new family had just moved into a neighboring house and their daughter, Karin, was my age and about to start going to the same school. We quickly became friends and thanks to the power of the internet we still keep in touch to this day.

When Karin and I first met, I had an overwhelming obsession for all things “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and “Mork & Mindy,” but my musical knowledge was limited to the constraints of the local Top 40 radio station. Karin, on the other hand, was really into music and introduced me to the concept of having a record collection. After a while her bubbling enthusiasm for music, especially Styx, began to rub off on me. She seemed to have every picture of Tommy Shaw (Styx’s guitarist and vocalist) that she could find on display in her bedroom. When Kilroy Was Here was released in 1983, she managed to convince the manager of the local record store, Waxie Maxie’s, to give her the life-sized standee of Mr. Roboto they used to display the album. To say she was a Styx fan is probably the greatest understatement that I can make.

Read more at TargetAudienceMagazine.com!

Photo by Michael Bradley

In recent years, the Alabama National Fair has become as known for its big-name, diverse weekend concerts in Garrett Coliseum as it has for its thrill rides, down-home competitions and novelty acts.

The 2014 lineup does not disappoint, roping in some surefire draws — classic rock, classic funk and country, with shows starting at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday as well as Oct. 11 and Oct. 12.

Styx, featuring Montgomery's own native son Tommy Shaw, kicks off the series Saturday. On Sunday, '70s and '80s funk hitmakers Kool & the Gang take the stage. On Oct. 11, country artist Easton Corbin comes to town, followed by fellow country artist Joe Nichols on Oct. 12.

Read the entire article here: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/2014/10/01/fair-...

It’s never easy when a long-running band replaces a well-known member with a new one. But sometimes it must be done, and as Styx has shown with the transition from co-founding keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter Dennis DeYoung to Lawrence Gowan, both the band and its fans can benefit from such changes.

Since Gowan joined Styx in 1999, the band has recorded an acclaimed studio album, Cyclorama (2003); and a popular album of cover songs, Big Bang Theory (2005), which featured Gowan’s vocal on a hit cover of The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus“—as well as a plethora of live albums. The band has worked steadily on stages around the world, and Gowan’s showmanship—including his rotating keyboard—has been a highlight in the band’s shows. As a live act, Styx is as viable and popular as it’s ever been (perhaps more so), and the change from DeYoung to Gowan has gone over quite well with generations of Styx fans.

When I spoke with Gowan, he was—guess what?—on the road with Styx, beginning a series of headlining shows for the band that would find it digging deep into its treasure trove of classic albums. We discussed the origins of his spinning keyboard, the charity efforts that are a part of every recent Styx show, his entry into the band, a tour bus fire that made the headlines, and his future recording plans—both with Styx and as a solo artist.

Howard Whitman: It’s good to speak with you, Lawrence. I was at the July 3rd Soundtrack of Summer show in Camden, New Jersey.

Lawrence Gowan: Ooh, that makes it so much better. It’s good to talk to someone who’s seen the show.

Whitman: I’ve seen you with Styx three times now—a couple of times during the Cyclorama era when Glen Burtnik was in the band. This was my first show in a while.

Gowan: Yeah, that’s your first show in about 10 years—wow.

Read more of this interview at TechnologyTell.com!

Originally from Chicago, Styx has grown to become one of the most recognized names in classic rock. In 1972, the band released their first record, the eponymous Styx. After releasing several chart-topping and certified platinum albums, the band went on hiatus while the members explored their individual musical ideas. In 1996, Styx regrouped for a reunion tour and in 1997, recorded a new album: Return to Paradise. The current lineup has been in place for the past ten years and consists of Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young on guitars and vocals, Lawrence Gowan on keyboards, Todd Sucherman on percussion and Ricky Phillips (with the occasional special appearance by original band member Chuck Panozzo) on bass guitar.

With the state of the music industry in constant flux, Styx has become one of the world’s premiere touring bands. They spend about 2/3 of the year performing live to audiences all around the world. According to their website, Styx has performed more live shows since 1999 than all of the previous years of the band’s career combined.

During this past summer, Styx played a series of festival shows with with Foreigner and Don Felder from The Eagles. Now that autumn has arrived, Styx is back out on the road with their “Evening with Styx” fall and winter tour. Lawrence Gowan talked with Target Audience Magazine about the band, their heavy touring schedule and what fans can expect to see and hear during the “Evening With Styx” shows.