Chuck Panozzo

Who was Chuck Panozzo?

Charles Salvatore "Chuck" Panozzo is an American musician best known as the bass player for the rock band Styx. A longtime member of Styx, he founded the group with his fraternal twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, who died in July 1996, and singer Dennis DeYoung. After three decades as a Styx mainstay, Chuck Panozzo left the band shortly thereafter, though he has since rejoined the band part-time and tours with Styx on a regular basis.

In 2001, Panozzo announced he was gay and living with HIV, and he has been involved in campaigning for AIDS awareness and gay rights. In 2006, he spoke with Frontiers for the first time about his decision to come out. The following year he released his autobiography The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx.