The legendary voice of some of the most iconic anthems of classic rock, Dennis DeYoung has led an impressive life full of ups and downs as well as contributions to the world of music. Being the previous frontman and the main songwriter of Styx, DeYoung composed and performed a soundtrack of a generation with such hits as "Come Sail Away," "Lady," and "Babe." To those fans who are curious about what has happened to Dennis DeYoung, the answer to this question is quite simple: Yes, Dennis DeYoung is still alive and still much active in the music world but his destiny has been tainted by severe health problems and a very visible break with the band that helped him to become popular. In this article, the author takes a deep look into the persona of the man behind the music, his personal life, fortune, and the events that caused his exit out of Styx.
Health Problems: The Disease That Reshaped Dennis DeYoung.
The health issue that became the most critical event in the life of Dennis DeYoung appeared in the end of the 90s and it actually resulted in the exit of Styx. During the recording of what would eventually be the album of the same title in 1998, Styx, DeYoung caught a serious upper respiratory virus that had long term effects. He wrote of a state that is much like what is currently referred to as long COVID, that he was extremely tired and had a weaker immune system and a strange sensitivity to light that made his eyes look bloodshot and his face always red and hot.
By 1999 when the band was about to go on a tour to promote the new album, DeYoung was physically incapacitated to take the demanding road work. He told the band in his own words that he needed six more months to recuperate this thing. DeYoung did not recover, so instead of waiting, his band mates decided to replace him with a Canadian singer Lawrence Gowan to appear in their next tour. This move literally terminated his work with the group he had guided to the top.
Looking back at that trying time, DeYoung told, "I was pleading to my life and to my job at the time this happened" . He was especially exposed, and said, that, being so ill, he did not really believe he could struggle against the resolution of going on without him. As of today, he still has to deal with the residual light sensitivity, mostly putting on sunglasses unless he is on the stage. This illness crisis turned out to be the turning point of his career as it broken a partnership that had delivered some of the most memorable rock songs.
Personal Life: Dennis DeYoung Wife and Lasting Marriage.
Behind all great artists is usually a helping spouse and, to Dennis DeYoung, that has been his wife, Suzanne Feusi. Their romance is like one of his power ballads resilient, heartfelt and immune to time. The high school lovers first met in 1964, and cemented in their decision to get married in 1970, when DeYoung had not even climbed his career ladder to international levels. Their relationship has lasted beyond the 5 decades of marriage, which is not common in the rock music industry.
Suzanne has been not only a life partner of DeYoung but his muse. One of the Styx hits that reached number one is the song Babe which was initially composed as a birthday gift to her. According to DeYoung, the song was inspired by the following: It was a song that was really about separation. I call her 'babe.' I discovered later that nearly all men address his girl or his wife as babe, something I believe is in the universal charm of the song" . The lyrics are also about sorrows of parting with people they love to tour, as their words such as I will be lonely without you/I will need your love to see me through depict the sacrifice behind their success.
Dennis and Suzanne had a family together where they had two kids, a daughter called Carrie Ann and a son Matthew. Their marriage has been one though there have been a lot of turbulence in the rock stardom, creative differences and health problems. This lifelong collaboration provides a glimpse into the subjective ideals of an artist who can be linked to arena anthems and bombastic rock shows, who is more devoted to his family than to his profession.
Net Worth of Dennis DeYoung: an Analysis of the Financial Heritage.
Dennis DeYoung is a very wealthy man after a several decades long career in music, both with Styx and as a solo artist. His financial estimates show that his net worth is around 25 million. Such big wealth is a sign of his achievement not only as a performer but also as a prolific songwriter and a businessman.
Table: Dennis DeYoung Sources of wealth (Primary).
Contribution to Net Worth of source.
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The primary source of music Sales and Royalties of the multi-platinum albums and hit singles of Styx.
Songwriting Royalties Continuing revenue on large catalog of 7 of 8 number one hits of Styx.
Tours & Concerts Revenue Covering decades of touring with Styx and as a solo artist.
Instead, Real Estate Investments The aqua front mansion in Boca Raton sold at 1.1 million dollars.
Endorsing and Cooperation The extra revenue of brand partners.
The financial path taken by DeYoung follows the route of most prosperous rock artists of his time. At the height of the Styx in the 1970s and 1980s, the group produced a remarkable four-album series (where each album was triple-platinum) The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces of Eight (1978), Cornerstone (1979) and Paradise Theater (1981); and the platinum-selling Kilroy Was Here (1983) followed. This was a commercial hit due to the in-depth touring and this was the basis of the wealth of DeYoung.
Since he has left Styx, DeYoung has still been able to earn an income via solo tours, recordings and royalties on his catalog of songwriting. His prudent investments especially in real estate, have further justified his financial status. In 2016, he bought a waterfront mansion in Boca Raton, Florida, at 1.1 million dollars, which he has offered to sell in 2022 at a steep 2.8 million- a vast potential gain on his investment. This diversified legacy of financial base can guarantee that his financial security will continue to increase even at old age.
Desert Moon: Solo Success of Dennis DeYoung.
Dennis DeYoung had started playing solo guitar when Styx had entered a state of limbo in 1984, with the departure of guitarist Tommy Shaw, and would soon release one of his most acclaimed compositions. His debut solo record, Desert Moon (1984) was a critical and commercial success, with its title song becoming a top 10 hit. Notably, Desert Moon is the alone single by any member of Styx to top the Billboard Top 10, which highlights the unique aptitude of DeYoung at hitting the singles.
In 1984, the album "Desert Moon" was made gold in Canada, a fact that proved the global appeal of DeYoung. The follow-up single, Don't Wait for Heroes, even made Billboard Top 100 and this proved that this was no one-off issue with his first solo success. This fruitful era was followed by further solo albums Back to the World (1986) which featured singles "Call Me" and This Is the Time and the latter in the score of the Karate Kid II, Boomchild (1988) .
The name Desert Moon later acquired a new significance in the career of DeYoung when he gave his latest albums the names 26 East, Vol. 1 (2020) and 26 East, Vol. 2 (2021) the name of the address of his childhood home in Chicago. He has stated that the second album will be his last one, and his music career will come full circle since those early days in Chicago to his final words of music. This careful bookending of his career is a manifestation of an artist who was aware of what he left behind and how he related to his origins.
Dennis DeYoung Today: What is Going On and What Has Been Done.
In his late 70s, Dennis DeYoung is still active in the music industry, but has found a way to slow down and find the music he is interested in. Although he does not tour as much as he used to in the past years, he still does some selective shows with his own band under the name Dennis DeYoung and The Music of Styx. With such performances, the fans get to hear the old Styx material with the voice that made it the way it was, and this makes them have a living experience with the golden age of the band.
Over the last few years, DeYoung has been enjoying the sight of his former Styx bandmates rolling out his compositions in their setlists, particularly Mr. Roboto and The Best of Times, which they had long disregarded and not paid attention to many decades ago. In an interview in 2024, he gave ambivalent reactions to this development: I just think that it was so unnecessary to do all that... Why did you speak these on these long years of music that you are perfectly aware we made together? Although the years have passed, the wound of his departure is very sensitive.
In retrospect, DeYoung has accepted that his recording career may have reached an end, as "26 East, Vol. 2" is said to be his last studio album. But his legacy lives on in several ways: his music is still played in the classic rock radio, he has made efforts to tour the fans with his farewells, and his musical theater compositions (such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame) are still being performed. He might be getting ready to call a final curtain on his career, but through music, Dennis DeYoung will be guaranteed of his voice sailing long after he has curtained his last.
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