Introduction
James Vincent 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. He was nicknamed by Styx members & long time fans as "J.Y." and is often referred to as "The Godfather Of Styx".
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 1984, Young released the solo albums City Slicker (1985 with Jan Hammer), Out on a Day Pass (1993), and Raised by Wolves (1995 with James Young Group). He was the only full-time original member left in Styx's lineup (Chuck Panozzo makes frequent live appearances, plus a guest appearance on albums) and has appeared on all Styx albums. Young tends to write the more hard rock pieces for Styx. He is best known for the Styx songs "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.
Discography
Styx
- Styx (1972)
- Styx II (1973)
- The Serpent Is Rising (1973)
- Man of Miracles (1974)
- Equinox (1975)
- Crystal Ball (1976)
- The Grand Illusion (1977)
- Pieces of Eight (1978)
- Cornerstone (1979)
- Paradise Theater (1981)
- Kilroy Was Here (1983)
- Caught in the Act (Live, 1984)
- Edge of the Century (1990)
- Return to Paradise (Live, 1997)
- Brave New World (1999)
- Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (Live, 2000)
- Styx World: Live 2001 (Live, 2001)
- At the River's Edge: Live in St. Louis (Live, 2002)
- Cyclorama (2003)
- 21st Century Live (Live, 2003)
- Big Bang Theory (2005)
- One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (Live, 2006)
- The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight Live (Live, 2012)
- Live at the Orleans Arena Las Vegas (Live, 2015)
- The Mission (2017)
Solo studio albums
- City Slicker (1985 with Jan Hammer)
- Out on a Day Pass (1988)
- Raised by Wolves (1995 with James Young Group)