Styx Singer Lawrence Gowan Shares ‘Dark’ Fan Encounter
I’m sure all famous stars have stories of fans who seem a little unhinged and Styx singer Lawrence Gowan is no exception. Gowan recently sat down and talked about some of the crazier fan experiences he’s had over the years. Gowan admitted, “Some of them can get a little bit psychotic. So, I want to be careful with that because I take that seriously.”
He opened up about meeting a fan at the airport and realizing that the man was a criminal on his way to prison. He explained that prior to joining Styx he had a solo career and one of his hits was called “A Criminal Mind” in 1985. Styx sometimes plays the tune on tour.
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Gowan said, “I had a guy once – I was in an airport, and I was sitting beside a guy. … He leaned over, and he said, ‘You know, you wrote that song ‘A Criminal Mind.” I said, ‘Yeah.’ He says, ‘That song’s been my whole life.’ And I thought, ‘It’s a very dark song.’ And I kind of went, ‘Oh, really?’ And he said, ’My entire life has been that, and I’m trying to get out of it.’ And he started crying, and I thought, ‘What is wrong with this guy? He’s way too overly emotional.'”
He then looked down and saw shackles around his feet and a Royal Canadian Mountain Police guard by his side. While he admitted that it was a “dark story,” he added, “that was such a life moment.” Gowan continued, “The weird thing is, he was grateful to have the song, to have something that he could cling to and listen to every day that somehow was helping him in some sort of therapeutic manner.”
Gowan, now 67, is heading out on tour with Styx and Foreigner for the first time in 10 years. They are set to play some of their biggest hits but perhaps “A Criminal Mind” might be played as well.
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March 2023
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