Styx bassist Ricky Phillips recently announced he is leaving the band after more than 20 years.
He announced via Facebook that he would be stepping away from the stage. In a post from Wednesday, Phillips opened the post saying that after touring for 50 years with bands and musicians like The Babys, Bad English, Tina Turner, Belinda Carlisle, and recording with Jimmy Page, David Montrose and Ronnie Montrose, he’s “taking a breather.”
He followed by saying that after 20-plus years of touring and recording with Styx, his time with them has “come to an end.” However, Philips clarified he wasn’t entirely done with music.
“I am taking a break from the road. I’m not retiring, just taking a break,” Phillips wrote in the Facebook post. “Presently, I have accepted an offer to co-produce a project in a studio close to home. I’ve known since I was a kid that live performance is in my blood so, in time I will post any future engagements or commitments. But for right now, Melissa and I will share coffee talk and meals from home...with our critters close by.”
“Of course, I will always cherish the adventurous days recording and touring with Styx,” Phillips wrote to end the post. “And, I will truly miss the wonderfully-crazy and faithful Styx fans...whose smiling faces I often saw more than my own family.”
Styx responded to Phillips’ decision on Facebook with their own page showing support for their longtime bandmate.
“It was a joy to spend two decades with Ricky Phillips in Styx and we wish him all the best in his next adventure,” the band wrote on the Facebook post. “He’ll always be a part of the Styx family and we’ll miss his presence on our stage and in our touring lives.”
Styx is currently on tour with their next show scheduled for Friday in Wallingford, Connecticut followed by three shows across New York. A replacement for Phillips has yet to be announced. Chuck Panozzo, who co-founded Styx and was the original bassist, is still involved with the band, but at a limited capacity due to his HIV diagnosis.
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Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.