James Young (American musician)
James "J.Y." Young | |
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James "J.Y." Young performing with Styx on July 2, 2010 at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska | |
Background information | |
Birth name | James Vincent Young |
Born | Chicago, Illinois, United States | November 14, 1949
Genres | Hard rock, Progressive rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instruments | Guitar, vocals, keyboards |
Years active | 1966–present |
Labels | A&M, Passport, Absolute Records |
Associated acts | Styx |
James Vincent Young (born November 14, 1949) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who is best known for playing lead guitar in the American rock band Styx.[1] Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years. He was nicknamed by Styx members & long time fans as "J.Y." and is often referred to as "The Godfather Of Styx".
In 1970, Young joined the band TW4[2][3][4][5] while a student at Illinois Institute of Technology, from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. That band later became the first incarnation of Styx.
After Styx's initial breakup in 1984, Young released the solo albums (1985 with Jan Hammer),[5] Out on a Day Pass (1993), and (1995 with ). He is the only full-time original member left in Styx's lineup (Chuck Panozzo makes frequent live appearances, plus a guest appearance on albums) and has appeared on all Styx albums. Young tends to write the more hard rock pieces for Styx. He is best known for the Styx songs "Miss America" and "Snowblind". Young managed the Chicago, Illinois -based rock band 7th Heaven in 1998 along with Alec John Such of the band Bon Jovi.
Discography[]
Styx[]
- Styx (1972)
- Styx II (1973)
- The Serpent Is Rising (1973)
- Man of Miracles (1974)
- Equinox (1975)
- Crystal Ball (1976)
- The Grand Illusion (1977)
- Pieces of Eight (1978)
- Cornerstone (1979)
- Paradise Theater (1981)
- Kilroy Was Here (1983)
- Caught in the Act (Live, 1984)
- Edge of the Century (1990)
- Return to Paradise (Live, 1997)
- Brave New World (1999)
- Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (Live, 2000)
- Styx World: Live 2001 (Live, 2001)
- At the River's Edge: Live in St. Louis (Live, 2002)
- Cyclorama (2003)
- 21st Century Live (Live, 2003)
- Big Bang Theory (2005)
- One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (Live, 2006)
- (Live, 2012)
- (Live, 2015)
- The Mission (2017)
- Crash of the Crown (2021)
Solo studio albums[]
- (1985 with Jan Hammer)
- Out on a Day Pass (1993)
- (1995 with )
References[]
- ^ Prato, Greg. "Biography: James Young". AMG. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
- ^ Panozzo, Chuck (2007). The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx. AMACOM. p. 57. ISBN 978-0814409169.
- ^ Whitaker, Sterling (2007). The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx. BookSurge Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 978-1419653537.
- ^ Clark, Dick (March 29, 1983). "Styx and stones...". Times-News.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Mayne, Mya (April 22, 1986). "His band breaks up temporarily, but James Young 'Styx' to music career". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Young. |
- Unofficial James "JY" Young website done by Kathie
- James Young's bio- and discography at TommyShaw.net
- James Young's bio- and discography at AllMusic.com
- James Young's bio- and discography at Discogs.com
- James Young's bio- and discography at WaterdogMusic.com
- JY Career Retrospective Interview from 2017 with The Pods & Sods Network
- 1949 births
- American rock guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American rock singers
- American baritones
- Singers from Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Technology alumni
- Living people
- Styx (band) members
- Lead guitarists
- Songwriters from Illinois
- American male singer-songwriters
- Guitarists from Chicago
- 20th-century American guitarists
- American singer-songwriters