XYZ

Emerging from a fusion of French and American influences, the hard rock and glam-pop metal outfit XYZ took shape in 1986. Bassist Patt Fontaine and vocalist Terry Ilous, childhood companions from Lyon, France, established the project after both had settled in Los Angeles. Early members included guitarist Bobby Pieper and drummer Joey Pafumi, and the quartet refined its live skills across the Sunset Strip circuit. By 1989 the group had signed with Enigma Records and issued its self-titled debut, with Marc Richard Diglio now on guitar and Paul Monroe occupying the drum seat. Don Dokken produced the album, which climbed to number 99 on the Billboard 200, driven by the singles “Inside Out” and “What Keeps Me Loving You.” The release attracted Capitol Records, which added XYZ to its roster the following year.

The band’s next major-label effort, Hungry, surfaced in 1991 yet found scant traction beyond the hair-metal audience, partly because first-wave grunge acts such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam had begun to dominate. Shortly after the supporting tour concluded, XYZ disbanded. Reunion came in 2002 with Ilous, Fontaine, Tony Marcus, and Joey Shapiro. This lineup sustained touring and new recordings, among them 2003’s Letter to God, 2005’s Rainy Days, and the 2008 retrospective Best of XYZ.