45 Years Ago: Styx Finds Their Final Puzzle Piece in Tommy Shaw
Earlier that year, the band had broken through thanks to Lady, a two-year old song from
Styx II. Even though Styx had released a pair of albums since then, WLS, the most powerful rock station in their hometown of Chicago, had been playing it nightly during DJ John Landecker s show to give the local band greater exposure. WLS national influence, as well as the song s propulsive, bolero-influenced second chorus, helped the tune reach No. 6 on the
Billboard Hot 100.
The success of Lady attracted the major labels, and Styx left the small Wooden Nickel Records for A&M. But it also fueled a power struggle and an identity crisis within the band between singer-keyboard player Dennis DeYoung, who offered theatrical bombast and balladry, and guitarists John Curulewski and James “J.Y.” Young, who preferred straightforward hard rock.
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