Fantastic interview. I'm a HUGE DDY fan but I've gotta say live Lawerence Gowan is far and away the best showman I've ever seen. He absolutely steals every live show. The Mission & Crash Of The Crown are BRILLIANT albums. Thank you for this GREAT interview.
I concur! He did a small tour as “Gowan” in Quebec and in Ottawa and one in Toronto. The first of two shows in Ottawa on November 26th….it was the best 40$ I have ever spent. He is quick as a whip, still has a great voice…and is a great showman. All that in an intimate setting of a 700 capacity theatre. Ill be going to see Styx next summer in Quebec.Looking forward to the show. He is a hidden treasure….to be discovered. But I still remember the 80’s where he was big in Canada. The states did not discover him because of big cheese execs that did not push his act down south Their loss! Cheers!
Yes for sure Gowan in Styx for 25 years to soon … he save Styx in 1999 … Styx is best with him on album and live show…happy time what say Tommy shawn … thank you for your video
great interview. lawrence seems like such a good dude and he's done an excellent job considering the whole ddy divide that exists among the fanbase. personally i love this version of styx and that's coming from someone who grew up in the glory days of the classic lineup. rock on lawrence. can't wait for more new material.
Larry Gowan was a brilliant performer in his own right. I'm one of those Canadians that bought all his albums. Too bad, Americans didn't get to experience his work from before the time he joined Styx.
My goodness, thanks for posting this interview, I was 16 the first time I saw Gowan.. Ontario Place Toronto , Canada .. 1981 the energy the creativity , the voice .. still performs the same. The vocals .. not one note being missed. What a shame the music industry it is today with auto tune. Music without characteristics.
Crystal Ball helped me get through my tragic teen period when I lost my father to a murder. The lyrics in that song resonate in my life to this day. Shout out to Tommy Shaw for bringing that hit. I saw Styx and Lawrence in Kelowna and I loved the entire show except that Tommy didn’t perform Crystal Ball. Next time. 🙏🏼
Great interview with Lawrence he’s a very nice guy and spoke about some interesting things, I’m sure if you would have asked him about Dennis DeYoung coming back into the band for one final tour celebrating the music of Styx for the fans he wouldn’t have any problem with it, But when it comes to Tommy Shaw and JY well they basically hate Dennis and he’s the one who made Styx the popular well loved band we all know and cherish, it’s a real shame that they both couldn’t accept Dennis’s plea to go out on tour together for one final time.
Really? Do you know DDY? Neither do I. JY has worked with DDY from 69 to 99. A bit more qualified to make judgement calls about DDY than us. Tommy met him in 75. He worked with 3 bands pre Styx. With classic Styx, with Dann Yankees and Solo, and Shawblades. And with Burtnik, and then Todd, Gowan, Ricky, and now Will. A lot more experience than armchair quarterbacks, like us, to know we go he wants to work with.
Why? Gowen is a MUCH better keyboard player AND singer. Why get someone who is less talented? Dennis wanted to leave, and now they have a better player.
With all due respect, Dennis was kind of an narcissistic asshole, and he treated the other band members like the dogshit he walked on last night. They have every right to not wanna work with him again. Granted, this all came from Tommy and JY's mouths, so take it with a grain of salt.
I'm a huge fan of Dennis DeYoung and I'd love to see a reunion. But I think Gowan is great. I've seen Styx several times in concert with Gowan. He's an incredible pianist and a great singer. When it comes to a band replacing a great singer, I think as long as the new singer is a great singer and can sing the songs in the original key, the music is still going to sound really good. Gowan sings all the songs in the original key and it sounds really good.
In my humble and very subjective opinion, Gowan sounds enough like Dennis that its still Styx. But Gowan has an edge that Dennis never had and I quite enjoy it. By many accounts, Dennis is an asshole. Gowan is not.
Lawrence is a great keyboardist musician and composure composer. Butt kicking out Dennis DeYoung, the original founder of the band , is like kicking out Paul McCartney from the Beatles and then putting a new guy in, and calling it The Beatles. Does Lawrence said the mission and crashing the crown are written by the bass player of The Guess who, an outside guy. Dennis doesn't do that he's still composes his own music . His band is the true present version of Styx. All other bands are just tribute band.
John did just that, after Paul left the Beatles. Before the remnants fell apart. Tried to prop things up with session musicians...but no. Dennis told John Curulewski to just get lost, when he didn't like Dennis trying to manipulate him. Tried a couple of other people, then JY and the manager found Tommy. After the live album( Kilroy tour) Tommy was done with Dennis and left, and Dennis hired Glen Burtnik to replace Tommy. Tommy came back, Dennis was " allergic to light" Todd replaced John, and Gowan replaced Dennis...to keep the band going. Chuck was sick, Burtnik replaced him. When Burtnik. Left Ricky replaced him. Lots of replacements.
Fantastic interview. I'm a HUGE DDY fan but I've gotta say live Lawerence Gowan is far and away the best showman I've ever seen. He absolutely steals every live show. The Mission & Crash Of The Crown are BRILLIANT albums. Thank you for this GREAT interview.
I concur! He did a small tour as “Gowan” in Quebec and in Ottawa and one in Toronto. The first of two shows in Ottawa on November 26th….it was the best 40$ I have ever spent. He is quick as a whip, still has a great voice…and is a great showman. All that in an intimate setting of a 700 capacity theatre. Ill be going to see Styx next summer in Quebec.Looking forward to the show. He is a hidden treasure….to be discovered. But I still remember the 80’s where he was big in Canada. The states did not discover him because of big cheese execs that did not push his act down south Their loss! Cheers!
Lawrence Gowan was the best replacement for Deyoung that they could have picked, both vocally and performance still keeping to the rock tradition.
Yeah he is gay
I am from Canada and have followed Gowan during his solo career my favorite is criminal mind great musician
Seeing Styx is a truly a.Wonderful experience.
Yes for sure Gowan in Styx for 25 years to soon … he save Styx in 1999 … Styx is best with him on album and live show…happy time what say Tommy shawn … thank you for your video
Great conversation with one of the greatest:)
Love his music.Saw him 20 yrs ago, and going to his concert in 2 weeks.
Great interview. Just goes to show how mentally talented Lawrence really is as a music aficionado
Thank you for allowing Lawrence to tell his stories! Thanks for not being to star struck.
great interview. lawrence seems like such a good dude and he's done an excellent job considering the whole ddy divide that exists among the fanbase. personally i love this version of styx and that's coming from someone who grew up in the glory days of the classic lineup. rock on lawrence. can't wait for more new material.
I saw Gowan at the University of Guelph, (Peter Clark Hall) 1985. Great era, Great concert.
Love to hear Lawrence sing. When I see him onstage he looks and performs like David Cassidy
But, apparently in interviews he looks and sounds like Marty Balin. 😎👍
I went to high school with Lawrence, his talent was obvious back then
Larry Gowan was a brilliant performer in his own right. I'm one of those Canadians that bought all his albums. Too bad, Americans didn't get to experience his work from before the time he joined Styx.
Love that band. Spectacular interview with a very interesting member. I’m one of those guys that cherish the whole catalog top to bottom. Cheers!
Excellent interview!
Intelligent questions!!!
Gowan is the man!
Thanks!!
My goodness, thanks for posting this interview, I was 16 the first time I saw Gowan.. Ontario Place Toronto , Canada .. 1981
the energy the creativity , the voice .. still performs the same.
The vocals .. not one note being missed.
What a shame the music industry it is today with auto tune.
Music without characteristics.
Crystal Ball helped me get through my tragic teen period when I lost my father to a murder. The lyrics in that song resonate in my life to this day. Shout out to Tommy Shaw for bringing that hit. I saw Styx and Lawrence in Kelowna and I loved the entire show except that Tommy didn’t perform Crystal Ball. Next time. 🙏🏼
Please come to Costa Rica ❤
Great interview with Lawrence he’s a very nice guy and spoke about some interesting things, I’m sure if you would have asked him about Dennis DeYoung coming back into the band for one final tour celebrating the music of Styx for the fans he wouldn’t have any problem with it, But when it comes to Tommy Shaw and JY well they basically hate Dennis and he’s the one who made Styx the popular well loved band we all know and cherish, it’s a real shame that they both couldn’t accept Dennis’s plea to go out on tour together for one final time.
Really? Do you know DDY? Neither do I. JY has worked with DDY from 69 to 99. A bit more qualified to make judgement calls about DDY than us. Tommy met him in 75. He worked with 3 bands pre Styx. With classic Styx, with Dann Yankees and Solo, and Shawblades. And with Burtnik, and then Todd, Gowan, Ricky, and now Will. A lot more experience than armchair quarterbacks, like us, to know we go he wants to work with.
Why? Gowen is a MUCH better keyboard player AND singer. Why get someone who is less talented? Dennis wanted to leave, and now they have a better player.
With all due respect, Dennis was kind of an narcissistic asshole, and he treated the other band members like the dogshit he walked on last night. They have every right to not wanna work with him again.
Granted, this all came from Tommy and JY's mouths, so take it with a grain of salt.
I'm a huge fan of Dennis DeYoung and I'd love to see a reunion. But I think Gowan is great. I've seen Styx several times in concert with Gowan. He's an incredible pianist and a great singer. When it comes to a band replacing a great singer, I think as long as the new singer is a great singer and can sing the songs in the original key, the music is still going to sound really good. Gowan sings all the songs in the original key and it sounds really good.
And with Gowen's voice SO much BETTER than DDY, it's a no brainer to have him. Now he's been with Styx LONGER than DDY, so now he IS the Styx guy.
@@johnwilson7809 I don't know anyone who think Gowan's voice is better than DDY.
@@ZenyattaFan1 Anyone who knows ANYTHING about singing knows Gowan is a WAY better singer, and a WAY better keyboardist.
@@johnwilson7809 Gowan is a better keyboardist but not a better singer. And Dennis is a 100x better songwriter.
@ZenyattaFan1 Gowen, better singer AND better keyboardist, period. No question, and everybody knows it.
17:07 Lawrence says that the band as it existed since for 51 years. It's actually 59 Wendy d y and the panozzo Brothers started the band in 1964.
In my humble and very subjective opinion, Gowan sounds enough like Dennis that its still Styx. But Gowan has an edge that Dennis never had and I quite enjoy it. By many accounts, Dennis is an asshole. Gowan is not.
Thank you for being a fan ❤❤
AND, Gowan is WAY better then Dennis. So there's that.
Lawrence is a great keyboardist musician and composure composer. Butt kicking out Dennis DeYoung, the original founder of the band , is like kicking out Paul McCartney from the Beatles and then putting a new guy in, and calling it The Beatles.
Does Lawrence said the mission and crashing the crown are written by the bass player of The Guess who, an outside guy.
Dennis doesn't do that he's still composes his own music . His band is the true present version of Styx. All other bands are just tribute band.
John did just that, after Paul left the Beatles. Before the remnants fell apart. Tried to prop things up with session musicians...but no. Dennis told John Curulewski to just get lost, when he didn't like Dennis trying to manipulate him. Tried a couple of other people, then JY and the manager found Tommy. After the live album( Kilroy tour) Tommy was done with Dennis and left, and Dennis hired Glen Burtnik to replace Tommy. Tommy came back, Dennis was " allergic to light" Todd replaced John, and Gowan replaced Dennis...to keep the band going. Chuck was sick, Burtnik replaced him. When Burtnik. Left Ricky replaced him. Lots of replacements.
Regardless who is lead vocals for Styx now , the bad has not been the same since Dennis DeYoung left.
Dennis was talented but and egotistical band member
Not part of the Real Styx. Only the stolen band name. Never was never will be more than a cover band.
Obviously you are not a musician. LOL
@@alancummings5651 Correct. Songwriter. musicians a dime a dozen.