Birth name James Young Name James Young Role Guitarist | Years active 1968–present Spouse Susan Godsted (m. 1972) | |
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Instruments Guitar, vocals, keyboards Similar People Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo, Dennis DeYoung, Lawrence Gowan, John Panozzo | ||
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter | ||
James V. Young (born November 14, 1949) is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who is best known for playing lead guitar in the American rock band, Styx. 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.
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In 1970, Young joined the band TW4 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 1983, Young released the solo albums City Slicker (1985 with Jan Hammer), Out on a Day Pass (1988), and Raised by Wolves (1995 with James Young Group). He was the only original member left in the Styx's lineup and has appeared on all Styx albums. Tommy Shaw is touring with Styx again, as is Chuck Panozzo as a guest bass guitarist for most concerts. Young tends to write the more hard rock pieces for Styx. He is best known for "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.