John Panozzo

John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx.

Early life and career

Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck (born 90 minutes apart). At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle in which John took an interest in drums and percussion. They attended Catholic school and eventually they were part of a three-piece band in which John played drums and Chuck played guitar. They would play weddings at age 12 and were paid $15 apiece.

Then, in 1961, John, Chuck, and their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung, formed a band called The Tradewinds in which John played drums, Chuck played guitar, and Dennis played the accordion and sang. They played local gigs at bars and began gaining popularity as a garage band on the city's South Side. In 1968, Chuck switched to bass and they added guitarists/vocalists James "J.Y." Young and John Curulewski, changing their name to TW4. The band signed to Wooden Nickel Records and changed their name to Styx.

Panozzo was active in Styx from 1972 - 1984, when the band went on hiatus. In 1993, Panozzo played drums on two tracks for guitarist/vocalist James Young's solo album ''Out on a Day Pass''.

Illness and death

Years of excessive drinking began to take a toll on his liver. In 1996, as Styx was about to embark on its first tour with the classic line-up since 1983, John fell seriously ill and began battling cirrhosis of the liver, eventually dying of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging and cirrhosis in Chicago on July 16, 1996; he was 47 years old.

Tribute

The band dedicated their 1996 ''Return to Paradise'' tour to him. Tommy Shaw, who had earlier replaced Curulewski, wrote the song "Dear John" as the band's final tribute to Panozzo.

Gear

Panozzo used Premier drums during the band's early years then switched to Tama drums by late 1978. He also played Zildjian cymbals.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1972 '' Styx''
* 1973 '' Styx II''
* 1973 ''The Serpent Is Rising''
* 1974 ''Man of Miracles''
* 1975 ''Equinox''
* 1976 ''Crystal Ball''
* 1977 ''The Grand Illusion''
* 1978 ''Pieces of Eight''
* 1979 ''Cornerstone''
* 1981 '' Paradise Theater''
* 1983 '' Kilroy Was Here''
* 1990 ''Edge of the Century''
* 1993 ''Out on a Day Pass'' ( James Young solo album)

Compilations

* 1995 '' Styx Greatest Hits''
* 1996 '' Styx Greatest Hits Part 2''
* 2002 ''20th Century Masters''
* 2004 '' Come Sail Away - The Styx Anthology''
* 2005 ''The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings''
* 2006 ''Styx Gold'' (re-release of '' Come Sail Away - The Styx Anthology'')

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panozzo, John
1948 births
1996 deaths
American rock drummers
Musicians from Chicago
Styx (band) members
American twins
American people of Italian descent
Deaths from cirrhosis
Deaths from gastrointestinal hemorrhage
Alcohol-related deaths in Illinois
American rock percussionists
20th-century American drummers
American male drummers
20th-century American male musicians