Styx (band)

This edition of the band also toured extensively as part of a '70s rock nostalgia package through the early 2000s. "Short Dogg" continues to make guest appearances, records, and movies. A version of Styx featuring Shaw, Gowan, and sole remaining original member James Young released an album called Cyclorama in February, 2003. Too $hort, a.k.a. DeYoung continued his solo career (his biggest solo album was "Desert Moon"), and Chuck Panozzo announced he was HIV positive in 2001. He is credited for coining the phrase "Bee-yatch" in hip-hop/gangsta rap -- as he states on his track "These Are The Tales," I won't sue you/ that's the trademark/ I was a grown ass man when you was playin' in the park...that's my gift to the rap game. Too $hort is also making a contribution to the porn industry, as he currently has 3 movies available. Chuck Panozzo also left at this time - partly out of loyalty to DeYoung, and also to mourn his brother's death (Glen Burtnik returned to fill Chuck's bass duties). He guest appeared on his close friend Lil Jon's album and scored a hit record with the track "Bia Bia" along with Ludacris and Chyna White.

Before he had a chance to return to the group - whose members were perfectly willing to wait for him to recover - DeYoung found himself replaced by Lawrence Gowan on the record company's insistence that the band begin touring again as soon as possible. $hort has come from rapping over raw drum beats, through the G-funk era, through the Bay Area signature sound, and on his latest efforts, the crunk era. DeYoung was further hindered in attempts to reform due to a strange viral illness which made him excessively sensitive to light. In the late 90s $hort relocated from Oakland to Atlanta, but he still represents his Oakland roots as on his 2003 record he has a track titled "California Girls." Along with his crafty appearances, $hort has been able to remain a prominent figure on the underground scene, a West Coast hero, and an overall legend by constantly updating and reinventing his sound. Once again, though, personality conflicts drove the band members apart. Other notable hits include, "Ain't No Bitches," "Money In The Ghetto," "I Want To Be Free," "You Nasty," "I Luv," "Just Another Day," "Good Life," "Invasion of the Flat Booty Bitches," "Don't Stop Rappin," "Freaky Tales," and "The Ghetto.". Continuing with Todd Sucherman replacing Panozzo, Styx's reunion tour was a success and the band soon released a new album Brave New World (1999). Although $hort's hit list is lengthy, the biggest hit of his career is perhaps, "Cocktales," which appeared on his 1995 album Cocktails.

The entire band reunited in 1996 for a tour, but John Panozzo was unable to participate due to problems with alcohol that killed him soon after. After the G-funk era came to an end and he relocated to Atlanta, he began working with a more diverse variety of artists including Twista and Lil Jon. The new line-up released one album, Edge of the Century, before once again disbanding. Diddy), E-40, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Soopafly, B-Legit, as well as well recognized verses by $hort himself. In 1990, with Shaw achieving some success with Damn Yankees, the remaining elements of Styx reformed with Glen Burtnik replacing Shaw. The album included guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Puff Daddy (now P. Shaw formed Damn Yankees in 1989 with Ted Nugent, Jack Blades and Michael Cartellone. In 1996, he claimed he was retiring, but Ice Cube brought him out to do guest appearances including the hit "Player's Holiday" which appears on T.W.D.Y.'s debut album and Priority Records compilation "Nuthin But A Gangsta Party." After the appearances, he began working on his 11th album which was appropriately titled Can't Stay Away, and is considered by many to be his best album next to Cocktails.

DeYoung released several successful solo albums centered around pop ballads and soft rock tunes, and James Young attempted a solo career with limited success. In his early years, $hort teamed up with close friends Ice Cube and producer Ant Banks to create several classic records. By 1985, this most-successful version of Styx had disbanded and the members had moved onto moderately successful solo careers. Of his 15 albums, classics that stick out in his collection include Get In Where You Fit In (1993), Cocktails (1995), Gettin It (1996), Can't Stay Away (1998), and Married To The Game (2003). Roboto" and DeYoung's power ballad "Don't Let It End". Over the years, Too $hort has released many albums hailed as classics, along with appearing on more top selling albums than any other artist in the game through his collaborations, which include over 60 guest appearances to date. Kilroy did contain several hits, including the synthesizer-based "Mr. Too Short is a legend in the game, and has dropped 15 albums to date, with his latest being Married To The Game, which contains the hit singles "Choosin" featuring Jagged Edge and the club banger "Shake That Monkey" ft. Lil Jon.

Kilroy sold well and was the centerpiece of an ambitious and theatrical stage show; however, the album and tour were a critical disaster and brought the tensions within the band to a breaking point. As of 2004, Too $hort is one of the few artists to have released six back-to-back platinum albums (others include LL Cool J and Ice Cube). Critics said that the concept behind the album was still very murky; several band members themselves admitted to not really getting it. He also played percussion in his high school marching band. The band followed DeYoung's lead with their next project, Kilroy Was Here: another, more fully-realized concept album, this one set in a future where music itself has been outlawed. They would glamorize a person on a 30-minute tape, and the transaction would usually cost $10. On the success of the ballad "Babe", Styx founder DeYoung had been pushing for a more theatrical and pop-oriented direction, while Shaw favored a harder-edged approach. In the early 1980s $hort produced custom raps for people with his high school friend, Freddie B.

During this period of greatest success, the band, particularly DeYoung and Shaw, began to be affected by interpersonal tensions. Too $hort is now based in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1980, Styx released Paradise Theater, a loose concept album that became their biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard pop albums chart and yielding five top-40 singles including the top 10 hits "The Best Of Times" and "Too Much Time on My Hands". He has released over ten albums and recently founded his own label. Through the late 1970s the band enjoyed its greatest success, with the album releases Pieces of Eight (1978) finding the group moving in a more straight-ahead pop-rock direction and spawning the hit singles "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man", and Cornerstone (1979) yielding the group's first number one hit, the DeYoung ballad "Babe", as well as their biggest international hit, "Boat on the River". Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is widely credited for popularizing pimp culture in hip hop, along with Ice T, Slick Rick, and Snoop Dogg. The first album with Shaw, Crystal Ball (1976), was moderately successful, and its followup, The Grand Illusion (1977) became the group's breakthrough hit, going platinum and spawning a top-ten hit and AOR radio staple in "Come Sail Away". Too Short, or Too $hort, (born Todd Anthony Shaw on April 28, 1966) is a rapper who started his career in his hometown of Oakland, California.

Following the move to A&M, Curulewski left the band, replaced by singer and guitarist Tommy Shaw. On the heels of its belated hit single, Styx signed with A&M Records and released Equinox (1975), which sold well and yielded a minor hit in "Lorelei". In the spring of 1975, nearly two years after the album it came from was released, "Lady" hit the top ten, and Styx II went gold soon after. On the strength of these releases and constant playing in local clubs and schools, the band established a fan base in the Chicago area, but was unable to break into the mainstream until an early song, the power ballad "Lady" (from Styx II) began to earn some radio time, first in Chicago and then nation-wide.

The band's Wooden Nickel recordings, Styx (1972), Styx II (1973), The Serpent Is Rising (1974) and Man of Miracles (also 1974) were a mixture of straight-ahead rock with some dramatic prog-rock flourishes and art-rock aspirations. Changing their name briefly to TW4, the band added guitarists James Young and John Curulewski, and were soon signed to Wooden Nickel Records, under the name Styx. This earliest line-up of the group included singer and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, and a rhythm section comprised of brothers Chuck and John Panozzo. The group originally formed in the Chicago area in the late 1960s as The Tradewinds.

Styx was an American rock and roll band popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. 200- The Big Bang Theory. 2003 Cyclorama. 2003 21st Century Live (live).

Louis (live). 2002 At the River's Edge: Live in St. 2001 Styx World: Live 2001 (live). 2000 Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (live) (with REO Speedwagon).