Styx

Although they began as an artsy prog-rock band, Styx would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late '70s and early '80s, due to a fondness for bombastic rockers and soaring power ballads. The seeds for the band were planted in another Chicago band during the late '60s, The Tradewinds, which featured brothers Chuck and John Panozzo (who played bass and drums, respectively), as well as acquaintance Dennis Deyoung (vocals, keyboards). By the dawn of the '70s, the group had changed their name to TW4, and welcomed aboard a pair of guitarists/vocalists, James "jy" Young and John Curulewski -- securing a recording contract in 1972 with Wooden Nickel Records (a subsidiary of RCA). Soon after, the group opted to change their name once more, this time to Styx, named after a river from Greek mythology that ran through the 'land of the dead' in the underworld.



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