mrstromboli

You're most welcome. Here's a Chicago Tribune article with the fabulous news many of us have been waiting for. Shawn *************************************************************************** Originally posted: July 19, 2007 New Dennis DeYoung 'Hunchback' musical to bow at Bailiwick Attention Dennis DeYoung fans: Next May, Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Theater will produce a new musical with book, music and lyrics by the former Styx frontman known for his highly theatrical rock anthems. DeYoung's show, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," has enjoyed only one prior production—at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville in 1997. The score was praised and, at one point, the show was talked about as a likely prospect for Broadway. But potential producers ran into opposition from Disney Theatricals, which was pushing its own version of the Quasimodo-as-cathedral-recluse story. The Disney show never made it to Broadway, perhaps now clearing the coast for DeYoung, who has a big fan base. DeYoung says he is revising the show extensively for the Bailiwick production. "Dennis has written some great melodies—including 'Come Sail Away,' 'Babe' and 'Mr. Roboto,'" said David Zak, Bailiwick's artistic director. "Those kind of tunes match up beautifully with this classic story." Zak has been aggressively pursuing this project for some time. DeYoung, who lives in suburban Chicago, has enjoyed a resurgence in his solo career. He has frequently performed numbers from "Hunchback" in his symphonic concerts, and they can also be heard on a recent live recording. http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the...ennis-deyo.html

Dennis' involvement did not get a lot of press beyond the benefit concert he gave to raise money to bring the wall to Chicago, and the Welcome Home concert he headlined the evening of the parade in Grant Park (I was fortunate enough to attend both) and I think that was by his design. I can't imagine Dennis posing for a picture next to the traveling Viet Nam Memorial for press purposes quite frankly. He has too much respect for those who fought and did not return home. Shawn

Best birthday wishes Early Boomer. Shawn

Here's where you can view snippets of the party and news of the collaboration with Eric Lapointe. http://www.flashmag.ca/html/aLaUne/topos.htm?1169 Shawn

Here's our own update. :-) It appears Dennis performed Friday evening at Yamaha's event at Disney's Adventure Theater held in conjunction with the music industry's annual NAMM conference. Yamaha Corportation's press release had this to say: Yamaha Announces Incredible Lineup for 2007 Dealer Concert Performers Include Earth, Wind & Fire, Richard Marx, Dennis DeYoung, Dr. John, Tommy Sims, and Teddy Geiger with More to Come NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A great Yamaha tradition continues on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, when some of the music industry's brightest and most respected stars take the stage at the Yamaha Dealer Concert during The NAMM Show. Artists scheduled to perform include: the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire; top producer and singer/songwriter Richard Marx; singer/songwriter and a founding member of Styx, Dennis DeYoung; New Orleans' renowned Dr. John; leading producer and singer/songwriter Tommy Sims; and hot new artist Teddy Geiger. More artists and further details will be announced soon. "We are extremely excited about this year's Yamaha Dealer Concert. It promises to uphold Yamaha's reputation for presenting unforgettable nights of superior entertainment and special surprises. This event in particular will be exceptional, as we are planning a show that has not been seen by NAMM audiences ever before. It will truly be a night to remember," comments Chris Gero, corporate director of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs and show producer. There was the now standard (more or less) bio included about Dennis-- Dennis DeYoung is the former singer and songwriter of Chicago-based rock group Styx. The band has sold over 35 million albums and scored 10 top ten singles worldwide. Styx was the only band to ever record four consecutive triple platinum albums. For over four decades, DeYoung has been a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer. He wrote and sang 8 top ten hits including: "Lady," "Come Sail Away," "Best of Times," "Mr. Roboto," "Show Me the Way," "Desert Moon," "Don't Let It End" and People's Choice Award Winner, "Babe." DeYoung has recorded four solo albums including Desert Moon, whose title track achieved top ten status. He has also performed on Broadway, starring as Pontius Pilate in the 25th anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. DeYoung's singing talents have made his voice one of the most recognizable in the world. A musician who attended the show had this to say about Dennis in a blog: >>>I went to the Yamaha Concert last night in at Disney’s California Adventure Theater. Tickets were Open Seating so we were hidden in the back since we hit a little traffic on the way there. The show was fun though and of course, the sound was even better. The concert was for Yamaha People and those affiliated with ‘em. And since the NAMM show is going on this weekend, it was a big event.The lights went down and the curtain came up and this huge bad-ass orchestra fueled the show and backed up such artists like: Earth Wind & Fire Dr. John Richard Marx Dennis Deyoung (who KILLED [Killed:in a good way] "Come Sail Away"!) Heather Headley Teddy Geiger Tommy Sims The event was hosted by Wayne Brady. Ah, what I wouldn’t give to be backed by such an orchestra like that.<<< Shawn

First of all, I can't believe I got in here! :-) More often than not I'm unable to access this board. Anyway- my Dennis song list- With Every Heartbeat: Perhaps the most beautiful melody Dennis has ever written. Harry's Hands: Pays tribute to a work ethic and proud people to which I make a personal connection. It's a song that should be in his set again. Unanswered Prayers: "Disappointment's been my address. I can't believe I let it happen. But tell the postman that I've moved for good. And I don't live there anymore" Terrific lyrics. Black Wall: Cathartic. Forces us to think about a time in our country when we were both at our best and our worst. Desert Moon: The sweetness of youth and first love. Don't Wait for Heroes: Uplifting. One of his special gifts as a composer is Dennis' ability to inspire. Shawn

It's been conveyed to me perhaps this is simply sentence structure misinterpretation on my part. :-) Shawn

I occasionally have difficulty posting here but today luck was on my side. From today's Edmonton Sun there is some most interesting news. Perhaps if this is fact, we'll hear more info soon. Shawn ************************************************************************* November 4, 2006 DeYoung & the restless Former Styx frontman doesn't write music for fun By JENNY FENIAK, EDMONTON SUN Former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung performs tonight at the Edmonton Events Centre. (Supplied Photo) The last time Edmonton fans got a glimpse of former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung was back in 1983. "Gretzky was playing for the Oilers, he loved the band. He used to come to our shows, that's why I remember," says DeYoung, from his home in Chicago. DeYoung was scheduled to play a concert in Edmonton a few months back, but the Oilers were fighting for the Stanley Cup and he didn't want that kind of competition for his show. The Oilers' inspired Cup run ended in disappointment, and the team is off tonight, but DeYoung has returned and will be performing tonight at the Edmonton Events Centre. Following that tour in 1983, Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw left the band for a solo career and DeYoung followed suit. "I made a solo album because, well ..." DeYoung trails off. "I mean, I didn't want to do that. I had no real ambition to make solo records. I liked being in the band." At that time, DeYoung believed the band members were responsible for Styx's popularity and didn't want to move ahead without Shaw, who did eventually return. DeYoung released two other solo recordings, Back to the World and the Boomchild in 1988, which was his last original album. A few years later, it was DeYoung who was missing from Styx's lineup and, unlike Shaw, it was a permanent departure. "I didn't actually leave, I got - how do I put this? - I got kind of manoeuvred out. It wasn't my choice. I'd still be in the band if it were up to me," DeYoung insists, pointing a finger at Shaw and James Young. "I had been ill and they wanted me to commit to a tour. I asked for another six months to get better and they decided they were going to take control and take the band in the direction that they wanted to go into and that's what happened." Since then, DeYoung has kept busy, mostly with the music he created with Styx. "I wrote all those songs and I sang them, so I play them," says DeYoung, rattling off an impressive list of '70s and '80s hits, including Babe, Lady, Lorelei, Suite Madam Blue, Mr. Roboto and Rockin' the Paradise. Speaking of which, it's the 25th anniversary of the Styx release Paradise Theatre, which marks the anniversary of DeYoung's imaginary character, Sparky the Flying Dog. "It was obscure for many years," says DeYoung, who made a commemorative T-shirt for the occasion. "I wrote ("A.D. 1928") and if you listen it tells you on there, 'Tonight's the night we'll make history as sure as dogs will fly.' That's the opening line of Paradise Theatre that I wrote, that's where it sprang from. I yell 'Go, Sparky, go,' on that solo." Although DeYoung has had a new song or two on some of his greatest-hits packages, he's currently working on his first album of original songs in almost 20 years. The project was spawned from his recent successes in Canada and specifically, Quebec. "I was on Star Academie and then I toured Quebec. We did like 16 or 18 sold-out shows between January and April," says DeYoung, who was back in Canada this summer as a Canadian Idol coach. His current DVD and double-CD, Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx Live with Symphony Orchestra, were released by DEP and Universal Canada and have sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Canada. "(DEP) said they heard my record and it sold a lot and then they saw my concert and said, 'You don't suck as much as we thought you did. Why don't you make a new album?' " says DeYoung, insisting he doesn't write music for fun. "If I'm going to write a song, it's going to be because I want to record it. That's all. Otherwise, I think I'll watch the ball game." JFENIAK@EDM SUN.COM GIG: Dennis DeYoung VENUE: Tonight at the Edmonton Events Centre, formerly Red's in West Edmonton Mall. VITALS: DeYoung is celebrating his 36th wedding anniversary with his wife Suzanne, who has written a kids' book. Following suit, DeYoung wrote his own children's story about Sparky the Flying Dog, the underdog character he created 25 years ago with the release of Styx's Paradise Theatre. http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/M...231090-sun.html

Liz found this print article about Mr. Roboto and Dennis' intentions for it in today's Wilkes-Barre PA newspaper the Times Leader. http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader...r_entertainment Shawn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wed, Oct. 18, 2006 Every song has a story ... “Mr. Roboto” Styx By Jeff Walker Special to The Weekender “Mr. Roboto” was one of Styx’s biggest hits, even though most people had no idea what it was about. It was written by the band’s keyboardist, Dennis DeYoung, as part of a rock opera called “Kilroy Was Here.” And as DeYoung explains, it’s basically a science fiction story put to music. “It’s based on a rock opera. It takes place in the future, where rock and roll has been banned by a man called Dr. Everett Righteous, who is able to correlate the bad times that America is going through to get rock and roll music banned. The night they are going to enact this legislation, Kilroy - his name is Bobby Kilroy - he plays in a band called Kilroy, and they are going to challenge the law. There is a riot, a kid is killed, and rock stars are then put in prison if they play the music. He goes into this prison, this Kilroy character, and the prison is guarded by Japanese robots called Robotos. In an attempt to escape, he overcomes one of the Robotos and gets into the robot outfit with the helmet and goes out into the world to bring back rock and roll. Mr. Roboto is that song. That’s why he says at the end, ‘I’m Kilroy, I’m Kilroy’ … Nobody much knows that, and that hasn’t stopped people from not liking the song.” (laughs) Oddly, the song was never meant to be a hit single. DeYoung said it was only written to provide a smooth segue into the storyline at their live shows at the time. But “Mr. Roboto” marched to #3 in the country in February of 1982. Source: Jeff Walker interview, 10/4/06 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------    98.5 KRZ Jumpin’ Jeff Walker, shown with producer Shila, is the drive-time DJ on 98.5 KRZ-FM from 3-7 p.m. He also researchs and collects the orgins and inspirations for well-known pop songs.

Dennis talks about the challenges involved in writing a musical in the summer 2006 edition of Songwriters magazine. Here's a link to the piece. Scroll down to The Seven Year Itch: Writing a Musical by Nick Krewen. http://drowsychaperone.com/pdfs/Songwriter...e_Summer_06.pdf Shawn

I completely agree. The album cut is phenomenal. I very much enjoy hearing the song now in concert always listening with my heart as I remember the summer of 1977 and the first time I heard the album--- but it's the studio rendition I favor and it's largely in part to the Panozzo Bros . Shawn

This is the bio that accompanies a book he wrote about rock guitarists: Sterling Whitaker is a singer, songwriter and music journalist. A veteran of the progressive rock group Roots of Consciousness, he currently records and performs with Beggarz Opera, a Nashville-based acoustic rock duo(www.mp3.com/beggarzopera). 'Unsung Heroes of Rock Guitar' is Whitaker's first book. The author is also hard at work on a forthcoming biography of the rock group Styx, tentatively titled 'The Grand Delusion'. I believe he regards himself a fan of Styx. Shawn

It's nice Chuck has made them available. :-) Shawn

Check out some fantastic pics from the past. Pure gems. http://www.chuckpanozzosplace.com/tw4/tw4.html Shawn