Styx covered the gamut of rock and roll styles. They broke through in the early 1970s, and proved adept at hard and soft rock, as well as massive power ballads and crossover pop tunes. They did it all, and they did it with Dennis DeYoung at the helm. DeYoung was the keyboardist of Styx, as well as the principle songwriter and singer.
It cannot be overstated how important DeYoung was to the band's success in the 1970s and 80s. They dropped classic singles like "Lady" (1973), "Come Sail Away" (1977), and most famously, "Mr. Roboto" (1983). Like we said, range. Dennis DeYoung wrote and sang lead vocals on all these songs, which remain FM radio staples to this day.
DeYoung reunited with Styx two different times
1984 marked a turning point for the band, though. Tommy Shaw, the lead guitarist decided to leave, and DeYoung, sensing that he could attain massive success on his own, followed suit. DeYoung put out multiple solo albums during the second half of the decade. He scored a massive hit with "Desert Moon" the year he went solo, but he failed to follow it up with anything comparable in terms of chart success.
DeYoung and the other members of Styx (minus Shaw) reunited for the album Edge of the Century (1990). The gambit worked, as the DeYoung penned "Show Me the Way" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Styx toured on the success of the album, but ultimately decided to break up again in 1992.
Three years later, the members of the band decided to give it another go. Styx reformed, with Dennis DeYoung at the forefront, for a second time. The band spent most of 1996 and 1997 on the Return to Paradise tour, which proved wildly successful. Unfortunately, DeYoung was beset by health problems in 1999, and asked whether their next tour could be postponed by six months.
DeYoung settled a lawsuit with Styx in 2001
The other Styx members, including Shaw, decided to ignore DeYoung's request and replace him with Lawrence Gowan. Styx went on tour without DeYoung for the very first time, and the keyboardist was not happy. He sued his former bandmates in an attempt to secure rights to the name "Styx."
The suit was settled in 2001, with the band keeping the name and DeYoung being allowed to bill "the music of Styx" when he promotes his solo tours. DeYoung continues to perform with other artists and hit the road with his classic Styx compositions. The other members of the band, however, told Rolling Stone there's no chance of a proper reunion.