A singer/songwriter from one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s is performing tonight in Des Moines with the capitol city symphony and the Iowa Youth Chorus.
Dennis DeYoung left Styx for a solo career that’s taken his music into film soundtracks, television and Broadway. DeYoung says his musical tastes are diverse — the last three CDs he bought were of the new rock band Train, Joe Cocker’s Greatest Hits and Puccine’s opera, “La Boheme.”
DeYoung will perform a career retrospective, focused mostly on Styx music, accompanied by the orchestra and the 35-member youth choir. His advice for young musicians: “Stay out of the music business totally because I don’t need the competition.” DeYoung’s career has taken him from rock star to studio soloist back to the stage with a symphony backup.
He says his future plans will always include music, though he’s helping his wife venture into publishing. DeYoung says “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing which is singing high whenever somebody wants somebody to sing high.” The Chicago-based musician recently edited his wife’s first novel, a romance/mystery.
So, what’s next? DeYoung says “I’m thinking of a future in waste management. Let’s face it, there’s always garbage.” Tonight’s show at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines starts at 8.