A nice article on CHuck

[styxfanNH]

http://www.chuckpanozzosplace.com/expressgaynews.html

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Thanks for posting, this was a very nice article regarding Chuck.

A book?? "The Grand Illusion" ?? That's very interesting, so he can use that name with no problem?

[styxfanNH]

i don't think you can copyright the name of a book or album.

[spaceace02038]

i don't think you can copyright the name of a book or album.

no mark you cant

[SuiteMadameBlue]

So then I can use "Suite Madame Blue" for part of the title for my screen play?

[Ash]

Why does chuck need to write a book about being a gay rocker in the 70s. Does he think anyone really cares what he has to say? We've been through the whole gay rock star/aids thing with Freddy Mercury who - I'm sorry to say - was a MUCH bigger star than Chuck Panozzo could have ever hoped to be.

Not sure what he's trying to do really. I'm not even interested enough to be upset about him stealing the title from their best album to sell books... because at the end of the day it ain't gonna help.

I feel for Chuck and having AIDS... but he's hardly the first one... and he's hardly the biggest rock star to be gay and/or have aids.

( Dennis Leary Style Rant )

It really gets me when people get a little bit of fame and then want to use that to become a crusader for whatever pet cause they have. I was interested in you playing your instrument and performing for me - I don't want your world or political/social/moral opinions. I'll get that from my church (if I ever go back). Shut up and play (or sing as the case may be). You're a rock star and likely not some deep philosophical thinker. We're paying you to sing/play not think... don't use that to your advantage. thanks for calling

[DarrenUK]

Yes what gives Paul McCartney the right to try and stop the clubbing of seal pups in Canada....get the cute little fury things clubbed it has nothing to do with the music.....

[Ash]

Yes but one does not know Paul McCartney for his service to the cause of not clubbing baby seals.

In fact, most stars give lip service to their chosen causes - choosing to use them when it provides the most political advantage or public opportunity.

The exception to this is U2's Bono. Now Bono and I don't agree on much in terms of philosophy or politics (based on what I've heard and read), but I have a hell of a lot of respect for him for getting his hands dirty to help his causes. Most celebs give money or attention to a cause - but Bono gets involved in it and I honestly think he does it because he believes it. It's hard not to have admiration or respect for someone like that regardless of their position provided they're not advocating illegal or immoral activity.

I think it's nice that Chuck has decided to write a book based on his experience and I think that Styx fans who care will learn a lot about it. And who knows - it may be therapeutic for him to do it. I know I take a lot of therapy in putting my thoughts down on paper or in Microsoft Word. I just think this would have been far more ground breaking had it been done in the 80's when it was far less "safe". Now it's just another snap in the din of popular culture.

[styxfanNH]

Hey Ash,

you ok today?

[Ash]

Hey Ash,

you ok today?

I'm absolutely fine. Why do you ask? I guess when I have an opinion something must be wrong?

[gr8dane]

Paul Mac is a wanker.
He should be home in Great Britain looking after issues there ,like fox hunting,soccer season,quality of fish an'chips.
Now,i don't agree with clubbering seals,but but but.Maybe there are too many.Maybe there are too many of us.
Come to think of it,Why doesn't he buy a few thousand of them and make a park or something in his backyard.
Wasn't he the one who wanted vegetarians only in his band.Be like me or you are not worthy.
Guess he needed some publicity.
ramblerambleramble.

[styxfanNH]

Hey Ash,

you ok today?

I'm absolutely fine. Why do you ask? I guess when I have an opinion something must be wrong?

No nothing wrong with your opinion, you can think and say whatever you want.

You just seem to be a little more negative than usual. But if you say you are ok, then that is good enough for me.

[Ash]

I wouldn't say negative. Skeptical yes... I've not been posting in a while and have done more reading than anything.

Whenever people do things, I have to ask why they do them. Certainly don't read my obsurvations as anything negative on Chuck... A hard hitting book on gay rockers in big rock bands would have been an intriguing read 15 or 20 years ago - but now adays it just seems like another topic on the "been there, done that" shelf. Note I'm not addressing the AIDS part of his book because obviously he likely didn't have AIDS 20 or so years ago.

The only thing I question is the title - which while I understand the double meaning it has given his subject matter - still strikes me as an attempt to tie into the more popular aspects of the band. In this case I'm not sure it brings him up as much as it brings other people down. Could you imagine people thinking that the Grand Illusion album is now about gay men in rock bands? Granted it's a stretch, but I've seen stranger things happen.

Hope this makes sense.

[Zan]

I wouldn't say negative. Skeptical yes... I've not been posting in a while and have done more reading than anything.

Whenever people do things, I have to ask why they do them. Certainly don't read my obsurvations as anything negative on Chuck... A hard hitting book on gay rockers in big rock bands would have been an intriguing read 15 or 20 years ago - but now adays it just seems like another topic on the "been there, done that" shelf. Note I'm not addressing the AIDS part of his book because obviously he likely didn't have AIDS 20 or so years ago.

The only thing I question is the title - which while I understand the double meaning it has given his subject matter - still strikes me as an attempt to tie into the more popular aspects of the band. In this case I'm not sure it brings him up as much as it brings other people down. Could you imagine people thinking that the Grand Illusion album is now about gay men in rock bands? Granted it's a stretch, but I've seen stranger things happen.

Hope this makes sense.

It makes sense, I suppose, but let's not forget that Chuck is an original, founding member of Styx and has every right to use that as a title for his book, which is, as the case may be, also appropriate for the content of the book. The Grand Illusion (the album) is about the misconceptions we have as a society and the truths that lie beneath them. If that isn't Chuck's story, I don't know what is.

Obviously, the book isn't written for everybody, and not everybody is going to agree with it. Some may even question motives. But I'd certainly rather read about one man's personal struggle than another man's "pet project." Chuck's battle with AIDS and homosexuality is not a pet project. It's his LIFE. Autobiographies are written everyday. Should we ignore those too because they're all for personal gain in some form? Why bother sharing anything about ourselves, since no one really cares?

Or maybe they do. Maybe one guy's experience, strength and hope will speak to someone and actually HELP that person. Maybe it's a purely therapuetic exercise on Chuck's part - so what. If it doesn't appeal to you (not you specifically, Ash, but anyone), don't read it. If it upsets you that it's written (or that it's "stolen" the sacred Grand Illusion name), well, maybe Chuck's not the only one who could use a therapuetic outlet.

[DarrenUK]

Paul Mac is a wanker.
He should be home in Great Britain looking after issues there ,like fox hunting,soccer season,quality of fish an'chips.
Now,i don't agree with clubbering seals,but but but.Maybe there are too many.Maybe there are too many of us.
Come to think of it,Why doesn't he buy a few thousand of them and make a park or something in his backyard.
Wasn't he the one who wanted vegetarians only in his band.Be like me or you are not worthy.
Guess he needed some publicity.
ramblerambleramble.

Vegetarians only in his band ?....I suppose its his "my way or the highway" and i bet some musicians chose the highway.......do as i say or you are not worthy....why that reminds me of some other vocalist who's name escapes me at the moment.....

[Ash]

Obviously, the book isn't written for everybody, and not everybody is going to agree with it. Some may even question motives. But I'd certainly rather read about one man's personal struggle than another man's "pet project." Chuck's battle with AIDS and homosexuality is not a pet project. It's his LIFE. Autobiographies are written everyday. Should we ignore those too because they're all for personal gain in some form? Why bother sharing anything about ourselves, since no one really cares? [/color][/b]

You make a great point about this being Chuck's life as opposed to McCartney's pet project.... I haddn't really though about that perspective on it so I would say that definitely sets it apart. I guess I'm wondering why it took Chuck so long to do it. Perhaps he just didn't get the idea until recently. This is definitely something I would have liked to have seen after the first break up of the band (post 1985)... I think it would have turned more heads and been a bigger impact. But as Tommy likes to say .... if hindsight is 20/20 .....

Eitherway, I hope it does well. Chuck has always struck me as the type to have a pretty even keel/zen type of approach to things - so I'm sure he'd not give a wit about my opinions. What would be cool is if there is a lot of narrative and anecdotal type of story telling and less opinion.

[yogi]

Is there anyway to post the article here.

[Angiekay]

OUT OF THE STYX
Gay rocker Chuck Panozzo is no longer quiet or 'discreet' about being gay and having HIV

By ANDY ZEFFER
Friday, March 17, 2006


The words "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" have become a modern day mantra. Almost everybody has fantasized about being a rock star. Adolescent boys imagine playing to thousands of screaming fans in packed arenas.

Backstage tales of groupies offering themselves to famous musicians have become the stuff of legend. The jet-set lifestyle, trashing hotel rooms, being able to dress outrageously. Rock stars have exceptional lives as well as creating timeless songs that live forever.

For Wilton Manors, Fla., resident Chuck Panozzo, all of the glamour of rock stardom isn't a fantasy. It's been part of his life for more than 30 years as one of the founders and ongoing band members of the famed music group, Styx.

But what sets him apart from his contemporaries is that in the macho world of rock, Panozzo lives as an out gay man.

Through Styx, Panozzo has reached rock immortality. He plays bass for the group, the first musical act to ever have four consecutive triple platinum albums. They remain one of the most popular musical acts in history. Their hits stretched from the ’70s to the ’90s, and include the songs "Lady," "Babe," "Mr. Roboto," "Show Me the Way," and "Come Sail Away."

In mid-March, Panozzo flew to New York to attend this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where he was the guest of A&M Records founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, who received a lifetime achievement award.

Styx still plays scores of dates per year, sometimes a hundred or more. The band often plays a double bill with other classic rock acts like Journey, REO Speedwagon or Kansas. The bands attract similar sell-out crowds that have become multi-generational. A Styx audience will range from an original fan now in his or her 50s, to a 15-year-old.

"We have lasting appeal because we play melodies that people can hum, and we have lyrics that are meaningful," Panozzo believes. "Nobody is fabricating our songs through us, nobody is making us through 'American Idol.' We had to make it our way and be true to our craft.

"It doesn't shock me that other acts aren't around after a few years,"he adds. "If you can't really play your instrument, or the only time you can really sing is in the studio, how can you possibly perform live?"

PANOZZO SMILES AT THE MENTION of the film, "Almost Famous," an ode to the free-wheeling rock and roll lifestyle of the ’70s. At the end of the film, the fictional rock band breaks out into a series of confessions as they experience plane trouble. One of the members tells everyone he is gay, causing the other characters to pause for a moment before going back to their impending doom.

"It made me so winsome about the experience," Panozzo says with a smile. "That is one of the best pseudo-documentaries of what being on the road was like. It was really representative of a whole era of music."

Panozzo says the tales of groupies and backstage debauchery aren’t just myth. He says there were many times when he wished he were bisexual. Even today, he still gets sexual advances from women. At a recent show in Los Angeles, a pretty girl offered him a massage.

"All I thought is, 'Do you have a brother?'" Panozzo jokes.

In the early years of the band, Panozzo says, the other Styx members knew he was gay and quietly accepted it. Because there was so much sex on the road, and because many of the band members were married, most of the sexual exploits of all the band members was kept quiet.

So on the occasion that Panozzo brought a guy back to his hotel room, that was done discreetly and quietly as well, he says.

"They accepted what I did," Panozzo says of his bandmates. "It was isolating at times. It was lonely at times. But there were occasions when you would get that break and actually make sexual contact with another human being."

Though his bandmates put two and two together and knew of Panozzo's sexuality in the early days, it never came up in conversation, he says-—-not even with his twin brother John, who was the band's drummer until he died in 1996, due to complications from a long battle with alcohol.

Panozzo describes it as being similar to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"My brother and Dennis [DeYoung, the group's lead vocalist] were close neighbors," Panozzo recounts. "If they couldn't figure it out, I don't know what more I could have done. They didn't see me with girls, and I had better taste than them," he smiles.

IN 1996, THE BAND REUNITED AFTER a nearly seven-year break up.

By then, Panozzo's fellow band members heard he had come out. Worried that he would be "one of those guys who act up," he says, they asked if he would make a fuss about it. Panozzo reassured them he was just there to play his music.

However, a brush with death in 1998 changed his vow of silence.

Panozzo was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. In 1998, he developed full-blown AIDS. He made a commitment to himself that if he pulled through it, he would not go backwards and be quiet from fear of rejection. It was the right time to move beyond that, and become more vocal and politically active, he says.

"It's like being a recovering alcoholic," Panozzo says. "You go through the worst part of your illness and start going on the road again, talking about safe sex. You let people know if they play, they better play safe. HIV may not seem as important to a lot of people now. There are drugs that exist that didn't before. But you are married to those medications until things change. And if that happens in your 20s, you have 50 years of it."

Panozzo moved to Florida from his native Chicago more than five years ago, after losing his mother, brother and best friend within a five-year period. Everywhere he went in Chicago he was reminded of lost loved ones, and he wanted a change of scenery.

His best friend passed away from AIDS, and that loss, coupled with his own bout with the disease, is what motivates him to speak out on the issue, Panozzo says.

These days, Panozzo looks much younger than his 57 years, and wearing his shades in-doors, he looks every bit the rock star. He lives in Wilton Manors with his partner of three years, portrait artist Tim McCarron.

When he first moved to Florida, Panozzo lived on Venetian Isle in South Beach. But he found himself coming up to Fort Lauderdale to hang out, where he feels more comfortable. So he eventually moved.

"This is the first community I have lived in where it is probably more than half gay," Panozzo says. "I find that very relaxing. I like the idea that I can walk outside and be myself with my neighbors. That experience to me is the fulfillment of a longtime dream."

Panozzo is busy with a multitude of projects. In addition to playing with Styx, he is working on his autobiography with writer Michele Skettino. An out gay man in the classic rock scene is a rarity. For that reason alone, the book should garner a lot of interest.

Throw in Panozzo's travels and the famous people he has worked with, and you are bound to have one heck of a read. Panozzo plans on calling the book, "The Grand Illusion," also the name of a best selling 1977 Styx album.

"This may sound preachy and corny, but having gone through HIV and AIDS, I know I am alive because there are other people who didn't make it," Panozzo says. "I owe a certain amount of respect. When I come out on stage, I represent more than Styx and more than myself. I feel I am representing an undervalued community, especially in this musical genre."

[Zan]

Chuck's in Ft. Lauderdale now? yay!

[Zan]

You make a great point about this being Chuck's life as opposed to McCartney's pet project.... I haddn't really though about that perspective on it so I would say that definitely sets it apart. I guess I'm wondering why it took Chuck so long to do it. Perhaps he just didn't get the idea until recently. This is definitely something I would have liked to have seen after the first break up of the band (post 1985)... I think it would have turned more heads and been a bigger impact. But as Tommy likes to say .... if hindsight is 20/20 .....

This is true (hindsight), plus, for the past few years, Chuck has been involved in other gay/AIDS related projects. Maybe this is the first opportunity he's had to work towards something else in a while, who knows?

I'm not an avid reader (or A reader), so I don't know if I will actually read his book, but I am really glad that he's speaking up, even if some of us wish he had started sooner. It's never too late until you're dead, and it would seem Chuck has taken this stance about a lot of things in is life. I applaud him for it. maybe he doesn't want to just "vanish" the way his borther did...leaving a bunch of unanswered questions and curiousity.