Dennis DeYoung will release his eagerly awaited new solo set, 26 East, Vol. 1 on May 22nd, marking the Styx co-founder's first new studio project since 2007. The album takes its title from his childhood home in Roseland, the South side of Chicago, where he and Styx co-founders, twins Chuck and John Panozzo, first started playing together nearly 60 years ago.
DeYoung, who still resides in the Chicagoland area, talked to Classic Rock and explained why the new album — and it's subsequent followup — will be his last: “There’s no way for new music to sell decently. When (my label) Frontiers asked me to do an album, I did wonder why would I want to. But they persuaded me, and I ended up recording 18 tracks, and wrote about half of these with Jim Peterik (Survivor founder and co-writer of 'Eye Of The Tiger'). The label want to release all of them, so there will be a Volume Two, which will be my farewell.”
DeYoung went on to say he still gets joy in sharing music for both veteran and new fans: “I want people to have an understanding of my life. It gives me a thrill to know that strangers will be able to listen to these songs and find themselves in my story.”
Although he's not holding his breath, he still hopes that he and Styx's current active members — JY Young and Tommy Shaw — could one day mend fences and perform as one united force: “In 1999 Tommy Shaw and JY decided to replace me in Styx when I was sick. I have always said that I would love to return, but those two have constantly dismissed the offer. To me, unless you have the three of us together then you do not have Styx. I don’t have an axe to grind, but I feel we owe it to the fans to get Larry, Curly and Mo back in harness one last time.”
Drummer John Panozzo died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1996 at age 47. His twin, bassist Chuck Panozzo is living with AIDS and still periodically performs with Styx. DeYoung named his new album 26 East, Vol. 1 in tribute to the brothers and the home where they first made their bones as musicians: “So, in tribute to those three mooks, who in my basement at 26 East 101st Place in 1962, came together as little kids; 14-year-old me, 12-year-old them. This album, to me, is a tribute to the boys who really started it all. Where it began, so shall it end.”