Styx Bassist Dying From AIDS
Will Yablowme
By Jon Wiederhorn
07/31/2001
For more than 30 years, Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo has helped rock fans escape
through teary power ballads, progressive-rock anthems and futuristic sci-fi
concepts. Now he's urging whomever he can to confront reality and publicly
embrace their homosexuality, as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's
National Coming Out Project.
In his new role, Panozzo will speak with the press, work to promote AIDS
awareness and encourage those at risk to get tested for the disease. He also
hopes to help closeted gay men and women open up and come out.
"Gays and lesbians need to know that coming out is not such a bad thing," he
said. "In fact, it's the most liberating thing that they could ever imagine.
It's something that can really touch their soul and free their spirit."
Panozzo came out on July 28 at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner in
Chicago. He also admitted he's been living with advanced AIDS since 1999.
"I didn't want to be in denial anymore," he said from his Chicago home. "I had
seen my brother [Styx drummer John Panozzo] in denial, and he died of addiction
[in 1996]. My best friend was in denial of having AIDS, and he died of it. I
said, 'I can't be that person.' I don't want to be a coward about this thing
and at the end of my life have somebody else say, 'Oh, well, he died of AIDS.'
I didn't want that to be me."
Panozzo was diagnosed with HIV in 1991; he remained untreated and symptom-free
for eight years. Then the disease hit hard. Despite immediate treatment, he was
intensely ill for the next 18 months.
"I had every condition that comes with having advanced HIV," he said. "I lost
50 pounds and I had terrible anemia. And my mother was dying at the time I was
starting to take my meds, which was really difficult. I was prescribed protease
inhibitors, which save lives, but they're very difficult to take. I had to pull
out of the band for a while because I had a fight on my hands that was more
important than anything."
This year, Panozzo played 32 shows with Styx even though he was still battling
AIDS. He admits he has good and bad days now, but stresses the importance of
staying active and not giving up.
"I really had to say to myself, 'Hey, your life isn't over yet. You have other
productive things to do.' And that's why I feel so strongly about the HRC," he
said. "I think I left this glorious professional legacy, but my personal life
sucked because I never addressed my homosexuality. So I needed to make another
mark in my life.
"If I can make one person go and get tested and question why they've lived in
the closet as long as they have, then I have succeeded, and my brother and my
friend will not have died in vain."
"Love to me is when you can't think, when another person is always on your
mind, in a positive way. If you see something you like and think, "My
girlfriend should see this", that's it, you're in love."
Catman the Great
Jesus Fuck, what's going on here?! Are there any famous people who *aren't*
dying this year?
With Regards,
Catman the Great
--
©2001 This message is the sole property of Catman the Great and the
Icelandic Viking Revival FoundationT
Any misuse of this message can and will be construed as an act of aggression
against Catman the Great, and will be punished with savage beatings by a
pair of diminutive yet suprisingly strong Viking chicks.
TJM
*aren't*
> dying this year?
You aint seen nothin yet. The scary thing about AIDS is that it often takes
8 or 10 yrs. before symptoms start to show up. So, all the headbangers who
banged groupies by the truckload in the 80's are prob. scared shitless. The
gay rockers are prob. even more scared.
TJM
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Steve Vai
<Paradi...@REMOVEcatlover.com> wrote:
>> Re: Styx Bassist Dying From AIDS
>
>Jesus Fuck, what's going on here?! Are there any famous people who *aren't*
>dying this year?
yes......britney spears, the cocksuckers of 'nsync, kid rock, fred
durst, eminem.
"I don't listen to music. I hate all music."
- Johnny Rotten
Paul and Michelle
banging Tawny Kitaen, who was on their album covers. She also banged David
Coverdale, so something good could come of this....
Paul
Yeah I know it's a shitty thing to say, but I'll get over it.
"TJM" <T...@cyberjunkie.com> wrote in message
news:3b69e3d6$1...@corp.newsgroups.com...
Paul and Michelle
"official" release.
"Will Yablowme" <kineti...@aol.comme> wrote in message
news:20010802171133...@mb-mi.aol.com...
Will Yablowme
>"official" release.
No his brother died of a heart attack.
JackStar74
wouldn't say he's "dying". Hopefully he can make a comeback like Magic
Triple...@hotmail.com
> You're right. Robbin Crosby of Ratt has advanced AIDS as well. He was
banging Tawny Kitaen, who was on their album covers. She also banged David
Coverdale, so something good could come of this....
>
> Yeah I know it's a shitty thing to say, but I'll get over it.
OJ is involved somehow too, I believe....
John
Gamelan
"Will Yablowme" <kineti...@aol.comme> wrote in message
news:20010803014742...@ng-fe1.aol.com...
Professor John Frink
Ditto. The dude was a "cruddy alkie" as Tanner from the Bad News Bears would
say.
~ Johnny Motel ~
When words aren't enough...send flowers
"Look, if shes not into Uriah Heep, shes not worth dating."
Steve Vai
http://www.davidcoverdale.com/gallery1/3.jpg
Paul and Michelle
"great guy he was and see, I'm a white woman, and he hasn't killed me so he
must be innocent."
You've got to love it when an over the hill rocker slut is your only
Hollywood defense...
<Triple...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9Nva7.8$t03....@eagle.america.net...
Triple...@hotmail.com
> OJ! That's right, they kept trottig her out during the trial to say what
a
"great guy he was and see, I'm a white woman, and he hasn't killed me so he
must be innocent."
I missed that. He probably told her "Testify for me or I'll cut your
damn head off."
> You've got to love it when an over the hill rocker slut is your only
> Hollywood defense...
I think she's married to some baseball player or something now.
John
Will Yablowme
>
>Ditto. The dude was a "cruddy alkie" as Tanner from the Bad News Bears would
>say.
Didn't the liver failure lead to an eventual heart attack though?
Paul
according to an archived press release on the Mr. Showbiz site was
"According to an ABC News press release, John died in his home, "of internal
hemmoraging brought on by chronic alcoholism. "
That isn't cancer at all, so I owe all of you a beer!
"Will Yablowme" <kineti...@aol.comme> wrote in message
news:20010803153117...@ng-bg1.aol.com...
Gall456
Booooooooooooooooooooooooze. He was in too bad of shape to tour so they gave
him time off to get it together but addiction got the better of him. Or so they
said on Behind the Music.
~~~Get the new CD by The New Bohemians, featuring Edie Brickell, at
www.newbohemians.com~~~
Gall456
Starting to look like Pete Way of UFO.