Chuck Panozzo

Charles Salvatore "Chuck" Panozzo (born September 20, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois) 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/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung. He toured part-time from 1999 to 2003, and currently tours with Styx on a regular basis. Chuck Panozzo is openly gay and has been out since 2001. That year, he also announced that he is living with HIV, and 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.