Tommy Shaw’s Views on Rock Hall Changed as Styx Snubs Continue

Tommy Shaw says his opinion changed as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame continues to snub Styx.

“At one time, it used to get under my skin,” Shaw told Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk. “I at one time was saying, ‘Please don’t give it to me now. Wait until I’m dead. Because I don’t want to have to go to one of those [induction] things that charge me $5,000 to get in the door and go up and play with guys who probably don’t want to play with each other.”

That stance has softened a bit over time. In 2024, Shaw expressed hope that he and his bandmates will “live long enough” to get inducted. He didn’t directly address Styx’s Hall credentials during the interview with Trunk, but Shaw admitted he loves it “when a band truly deserves” the recognition.

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Styx has been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 1998. With more than 54 million albums sold and a catalog of classic hits, they seemingly have a resume worthy of induction. Despite that, the band has never even received a nomination.

Styx Sees ‘Irony’ When Hall of Fame Bands Open for Them

During the conversation with Trunk, Styx singer and keyboardist Lawrence Gowan championed the band’s case for induction.

“To me, I would like to see [induction] for the guys that were in the band long before I was in the band,” said Gowan, who joined in 1999. “I’d like to see it for them, because they built the whole foundation that we’ve been able to extend the life of, you know, since the era that I’ve been involved in.”

READ MORE: Styx Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide

“Bands that get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we always celebrate that,” Gowan continued, “and when I’ve seen them open for Styx, we always make a big deal of the fact that that band or this artist is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s not beyond noticing the irony of the fact that some bands that are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be opening the show for Styx. In my mind, that says something.”

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