John Panozzo | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1948 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | July 16, 1996 (aged 47) |
| Genres | Heavy metal |
| Years active | 1972-1996 |
| Labels | A&M Records |
John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer. He was best known for his work with rock band Styx.
Panozzo grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He had a fraternal twin brother, Chuck. At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle. John took an interest in drums and percussion. They attended Catholic school. They were part of a 3-piece accordion band in which John played drums and Chuck played guitar. They would play weddings at age 12 and were paid $15 apiece.
In 1961 John, Chuck, and their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung, formed a band called the Tradewinds.John played drums, Chuck played guitar, and Dennis played the accordion and sang. They played at bars and began gaining popularity as a garage band on the South Side of Chicago. In 1968, Chuck switched to bass. They added guitarists/vocalists James "J.Y." Young and John Curulewski and changed the name of the band to TW4. The band signed to Wooden Nickel Records and changed their name to Styx.
By the early 1990s his health suffered from heavy drinking. He took a less active role with Styx. In 1996 he was replaced by Todd Sucherman for the reunion tour. He was found dead in his home a few days later. He died from cirrhosis of the liver.