James Young (American musician)
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. 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".
James "J.Y." Young | |
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Young performing with Styx in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Vincent Young |
| Born | November 14, 1949 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
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| Member of | Styx |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Godsted
(m. 1972; died 2022) |
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 collaborated with Jan Hammer on the album City Slicker (1985). 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.