Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American musician best known as a co‑lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Styx. Between his periods with Styx, he performed with other groups including Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and he has released several solo albums. Shaw was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and performed with a number of local bands during his early years. After attending Robert E. Lee High School, he left Montgomery to join The Smoke Ring and later MSFunk, a Chicago‑managed band with which he spent three years. His work with MSFunk brought him to the attention of Styx during a two‑week club engagement in Chicago. When MSFunk disbanded, Shaw returned to Montgomery and joined a local group called Harvest, performing with childhood friends. Around this time, Styx had recently signed with A&M Records when guitarist and vocalist John Curulewski abruptly left the band shortly before a national tour. A rapid search for a replacement followed, and Shaw was invited to audition due to his previous visibility in Chicago. According to Shaw, the band did not initially ask him to play guitar; instead, they evaluated his demo recordings and confirmed he could sing the high harmony in “Lady”. He was hired in December 1975. Shaw’s first album with Styx, Crystal Ball (1976), took its title from one of his compositions and also featured his songs “Mademoiselle” and “Shooz”. Its follow‑up, The Grand Illusion (1977), became the band’s breakthrough release, achieving platinum status. Shaw played a key role in promoting the album, personally visiting radio stations across the United States to encourage airplay for the single “Come Sail Away”. The album also included the hit “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)”, written by Shaw.
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Blue Collar Man (Sing For The Day!)
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Boat On The River
Too Much Time On My Hands
Girls With Guns
Renegade and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra
Count on You
Ever Since The World Began
Count On You
Going to California
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