It’s YOU Babe…..

OK, this jerky blog routinely pokes fun at its betters. I’ve boxed the ankles of giants: John Lennon, Bono, Keith Richards, Elton John. Other than one irate letter objecting to my smarmy roast of Paul McCartney, I’ve pretty much steered clear of trouble. That was before I mentioned Dennis DeYoung. As my Hebrew brothers and sisters are fond of saying: Oy ! Vey !

As previously mentioned, some Dennis DeYoung fans took my totally false interview seriously. So I posted a disclaimer making it clear it was phony baloney. And for good measure I visited their chat room to make it even more clear. They were pretty nice people, actually. Just a little over-protective….

Anyway, I thought the matter was put to rest and continued on with my sad, misanthropic posts. Then I got another spike in my Styx-related traffic (nothing that ZZ Top needs to worry about, but noticeable all the same). The source of this spike? Apparently some misguided soul wrote to Dennis DeYoung’s wife to ask if the stuff in the interview was true.

So rather than state yet again that the Dennis DeYoung interview is false, I’ll let Suzanne DeYoung rebut the charges herself. Unlike pretty much everything else on this site, this is genuine and comes from dennisdeyoung.com.

Dear Dan,
This is the first time we have ever heard or seen this site/interview. I have sent your e-mail with the information to our management department. We will ask them to have it taken down immediately. I will not print your e-mail for obvious reasons. I will however answer your questions.

NO. Dennis has never used cocaine! NEVER!

This site has apparently been put up to discredit my husband’s integrity and good name!
“Come Sail Away,” was written in our home during the winter months of 1977. We had just returned from Hawaii with our family. WE and I do mean WE never questioned or were tired of touring or traveling together for my husband’s career. WE both had decided very early on in my husband’s career, that WE would both work together, grow as a young married couple together and then as a family together, to do everything we could together, towards making my husband’s career and STYX a success. That meant many sacrifices. WE were a strong family then and WE are still a strong family today.
We didn’t have a lot of money after I quit work to become a full time mom. A year or so after our daughter’s birth my husband and his band decided to quit their day jobs and concentrate on solely their music career. Dennis was the only married man with a child. There were not enough jobs for Dennis’ income to support a family. I returned to work as our savings depleted down to $25.00.
In 1975 the band decided to leave Wooden Nickel and had an opportunity to be signed by a REAL record company. Getting out of the Wooden Nickel contact meant Dennis had to give up all current and previous royalties (I only mention previous because we NEVER received ANY royalties from Wooden Nickel EVER!) The other writers had to do the same thing. However, Dennis had the most to lose. Even though we had never received any monies, he was still OWED a great deal of money. There was never any question in our mind even though WE had no money and very little income coming in, that WE would sacrifice anything and every cent owed us, to further the bands career.
Later that year Dennis received his First ASCAP check. A very short time later, we discovered that our First manager had not paid the bands taxes (among other things!) We found this information out on the very First day that STYX was to record its First album for A & M Records. Upon arriving at the studio much to their surprise, the IRS had confiscated all the bands equipment! Again, there was never any question in our minds as to how our ASCAP check should be used. WE used to retrieve the bands’ equipment. WE used it for the good of the band.
There are many more stories I can tell you about my husband’s integrity and how WE always put STYX first. Perhaps someday I’ll bore you by putting it ALL in a “True Story, No Lies” book. STYX was the most import thing in our life. Dennis would NEVER joke or compromise his career and that of his friends and band mates or our lives by using cocaine!
WE did not lose out on the pot of gold…WE made it happen together!

Suzanne

So there you have it. WE are sorry for any misunderstanding…..