Charles Salvatore "Chuck" Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Terry Gowan. Panozzo is living with HIV, which played a role in limiting his full-time participation.

Early life and education

Panozzo grew up in a working-class Italian Catholic neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 7, Panozzo and his

fraternal twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...

brother, drummer

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 Panozzo was born to Tranquinino Panozzo and Elizabeth Lofrano Panozzo, both of whom were of Italian desc ...

, who died in July 1996, took music lessons from an uncle. He attended Catholic schools. Panozzo received a degree in

art education Visual arts education is the area of learning that is based upon the kind of art that one can see, visual arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practi ...

and taught art at the high school level. He left his teaching job to pursue his career in music with Styx.

Styx

In 1961–1962, Panozzo founded a band which would eventually become Styx with his brother, John and singer/keyboardist

Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was the band's most ...

. The band's only number one in the US was " Babe", released in 1979. Other successful songs by Styx are " Mr. Roboto", " Show Me the Way", " The Best of Times", " Don't Let It End", "

Lady ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

", and " Come Sail Away", the latter being used many times in pop culture. Panozzo still tours in Styx, but is a part-time member, as a result of his body growing weaker through his battle with AIDS. Bassists Glen Burtnik, Ricky Phillips, and Terry Gowan have filled in for him over time.

Sexuality and HIV diagnosis

According to Panozzo, he first realised his homosexuality when at age seven, he had broken his leg, and in school when the

fire alarm A fire alarm system is a building system designed to detect, alert occupants, and alert emergency forces of the presence of fire, smoke, carbon monoxide, or other fire-related emergencies. Fire alarm systems are required in most commercial buil ...

went off, an older student had to help him out. In 1991, he was diagnosed as being HIV-positive, which he kept secret along with his sexuality. By 1998, the disease had progressed to AIDS. In 2001, at the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

annual dinner, in front of 1,000 guests, Panozzo announced that he is gay and is living with HIV. Before publicly announcing his diagnosis and sexuality, the only other person who knew Chuck's secret was his twin brother John, who had already died by the time the secret was revealed. In 2007, he released his autobiography ''The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx.'' Panozzo has donated money to many

AIDS research HIV/AIDS research includes all medical research that attempts to prevent, treat, or cure HIV/AIDS, as well as fundamental research about the nature of HIV as an infectious agent and AIDS as the disease caused by HIV. Transmission A body of sci ...

organizations. He lives with his partner, Tim.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Panozoo, Chuck 1948 births 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people American gay musicians American LGBTQ singers American male bass guitarists American musicians with disabilities American people of Italian descent American rock bass guitarists American twins Guitarists from Chicago LGBTQ people from Illinois Living people Musicians from Illinois People with HIV/AIDS Styx (band) members