James Young (American musician)

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"James Young (musician)" redirects here. For the British musician, see James Young (British musician).

James "J.Y." Young
Young performing with Styx in 2010
Young performing with Styx in 2010
Background information
Birth nameJames Vincent Young
Born (1949-11-14) November 14, 1949 (age 74)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Years active1966–present
Labels
Member ofStyx[1]
Spouse(s)
Susan Godsted
​
​
(m. 1972; died 2022)​
[2]

James Vincent Young (born November 14, 1949) is an American musician who is best known as one of the guitarists in the American rock band Styx, having served as the only continuous original member of the band.[3] 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 and long time fans as "J.Y." and is often referred to as "the Godfather of Styx".

In 1970, Young joined the band TW4[4][5][6][7] 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 collaborated with Jan Hammer on the album City Slicker (1985).[7] Later on, he released Out on a Day Pass (1993), and Raised by Wolves (1995) with James Young Group. Young's writing style is very much centered in hard rock, as he is known for writing some of the "harder" songs for Styx. He is best known for providing vocals on the hits "Miss America" and "Snowblind". Young managed the Chicago-based rock band 7th Heaven in 1998 along with Alec John Such of the band Bon Jovi.

Discography[edit]

Styx[edit]

Main article: Styx discography

Solo studio albums[edit]

  • City Slicker (1985), with Jan Hammer
  • Out on a Day Pass (1993)
  • Raised by Wolves (1995), with James Young Group

As guest[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wardlaw, Matt (June 17, 2022). "James Young Looks Back on 50 Years of Styx: Exclusive Interview". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "STYX Guitarist JAMES 'JY' YOUNG Mourns Death Of His Wife Of 50 Years, SUSAN YOUNG". Blabbermouth. November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Biography: James Young". AMG. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  4. ^ Panozzo, Chuck (2007). The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx. AMACOM. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-8144-0916-9.
  5. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (2007). The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx. BookSurge Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-4196-5353-7.
  6. ^ Clark, Dick (March 29, 1983). "Styx and stones...". Times-News.
  7. ^ a b Mayne, Mya (April 22, 1986). "His band breaks up temporarily, but James Young 'Styx' to music career". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2013.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Young.
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