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On this day, September 11, 1953, Tommy Shaw of Styx was born.
Last edited Tue Nov 14, 2023, 02:14 PM - Edit history (1)
As I have said many times, 70s music is way underrated.
Tommy Shaw
Tommy Shaw performing with Styx on July 2, 2010, at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska
Birth name: Tommy Roland Shaw
Born: September 11, 1953 (age 70); Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Website: tommyshaw.net
Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and performer best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups including Damn Yankees, Shaw Blades as well as releasing several solo albums.
Early life and music career
Tommy Shaw was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and played with many local bands in his early years. He left Montgomery after attending Robert E. Lee High School to join The Smoke Ring and then MSFunk, a Chicago-managed outfit that he played with for three years, which gave him a chance to be noticed by Styx during a two-week club gig in Chicago. After MSFunk disbanded, he went back to Montgomery to join a local group called Harmony with his childhood friends, which performed at the club Keglers Kove in a local bowling alley. Following Styx's move to A&M, guitarist and vocalist John Curulewski suddenly left the band shortly before they were to embark on a nationwide tour and a frantic search to find a last-minute replacement was launched. As a result of his previous experience with MSFunk in Chicago, Shaw got the call to audition for Styx in Chicago. Shaw said: "I got on the plane and went up there the next day, and they didn't ask me to play the guitar at all. The guitar never came out of the case." Once Styx had listened to Shaw's demo tape and Shaw had proven he could sing the high harmony in "Lady", he was hired.
Styx – 1970s
Shaw joined Styx in December 1975. His first album with Styx, Crystal Ball (1976), was titled after his own composition and also includes his songs "Mademoiselle" and "Shooz". Its follow-up, The Grand Illusion (1977), became the group's breakthrough album, which went platinum due in part to Shaw. He personally went from studio to studio, coast to coast and pleaded with stations to play the band's single "Come Sail Away" (written and sung by Dennis DeYoung). The album also featured the radio hit "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)", penned by Shaw.
Styx's eighth album, Pieces of Eight, was the breakout album for Shaw's songwriting talent. His rock-oriented contributions "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man" were the only major hits from this release, reaching #16 and #21 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, and they became 1970s rock-radio staples and perennial Styx concert favorites. The Shaw-sung ballad "Sing for the Day" also became a moderate hit, hitting number #41, making Shaw the writer and singer of all three singles pulled from the album.
{snip}
Tommy Shaw performing with Styx on July 2, 2010, at Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska
Birth name: Tommy Roland Shaw
Born: September 11, 1953 (age 70); Montgomery, Alabama, United States
Website: tommyshaw.net
Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and performer best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups including Damn Yankees, Shaw Blades as well as releasing several solo albums.
Early life and music career
Tommy Shaw was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and played with many local bands in his early years. He left Montgomery after attending Robert E. Lee High School to join The Smoke Ring and then MSFunk, a Chicago-managed outfit that he played with for three years, which gave him a chance to be noticed by Styx during a two-week club gig in Chicago. After MSFunk disbanded, he went back to Montgomery to join a local group called Harmony with his childhood friends, which performed at the club Keglers Kove in a local bowling alley. Following Styx's move to A&M, guitarist and vocalist John Curulewski suddenly left the band shortly before they were to embark on a nationwide tour and a frantic search to find a last-minute replacement was launched. As a result of his previous experience with MSFunk in Chicago, Shaw got the call to audition for Styx in Chicago. Shaw said: "I got on the plane and went up there the next day, and they didn't ask me to play the guitar at all. The guitar never came out of the case." Once Styx had listened to Shaw's demo tape and Shaw had proven he could sing the high harmony in "Lady", he was hired.
Styx – 1970s
Shaw joined Styx in December 1975. His first album with Styx, Crystal Ball (1976), was titled after his own composition and also includes his songs "Mademoiselle" and "Shooz". Its follow-up, The Grand Illusion (1977), became the group's breakthrough album, which went platinum due in part to Shaw. He personally went from studio to studio, coast to coast and pleaded with stations to play the band's single "Come Sail Away" (written and sung by Dennis DeYoung). The album also featured the radio hit "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)", penned by Shaw.
Styx's eighth album, Pieces of Eight, was the breakout album for Shaw's songwriting talent. His rock-oriented contributions "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man" were the only major hits from this release, reaching #16 and #21 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, and they became 1970s rock-radio staples and perennial Styx concert favorites. The Shaw-sung ballad "Sing for the Day" also became a moderate hit, hitting number #41, making Shaw the writer and singer of all three singles pulled from the album.
{snip}
A song he wrote:
Another song he wrote:
They forgot to pay the light bill:
Not everyone at DU likes Styx. (See Worst Styx song.) This song has come in for particular dislike:
Same thing, live:
I love this tune:
Sun Sep 11, 2022: So what's up for this weekend? Ah, ya know, probably just gonna cruise around in my Styx van again.
Sat Sep 11, 2021: So what's up for this weekend? Ah, ya know, probably just gonna cruise around in my Styx van again.
"So what's up for this weekend? "
“Ah, ya know, probably just gonna cruise around in my Styx van again.”
“Ah, ya know, probably just gonna cruise around in my Styx van again.”
Link to tweet
Tue Nov 14, 2023: Born Today: James "J.Y." Young, (Styx)
Sun Sep 11, 2022: On this day, September 11, 1953, Tommy Shaw of Styx was born.
Sat Sep 11, 2021: On this day, September 11, 1953, Tommy Shaw of Styx was born.
Tue Sep 11, 2018: Turning 65 today, that adorable little Tommy Shaw, from Styx