History : Part I
The story of Chicago's Enuff Z'nuff has the makings of an epic rock n' roll novel or at least an insightful mini-series. It has all the ingredients of a classic story. There are heroes, villains, high drama, success, disappointments, conflict and unity. Few bands have had such a colorful journey down the rocky road to rock n' roll stardom. Through all the highs and lows, the band has never lost perspective on what is truly important, the music! Throughout their journey, Enuff Z'nuff has moved forward honing their craft, creating music that has won over the hearts and devotion of listeners and critics worldwide. What follows is a story not just about rock n' roll, but about the strive for the great American dream. It's a tale about never giving up, staying true to yourself and always aspiring to give your best. So sit back, pop in your favorite Enuff Z'nuff CD and enjoy!


Enuff Z'Nuff in 2001: Donnie, Ricky, Chip, and Monaco (from left)

Enuff Z'Nuff's Chip Z'Nuff met band co-founder Donnie Vie through a mutual friend of theirs in 1983, when they were 15. "I was playing in a band called 'We're Staying'," Chip commented, "And our friend said he met this guy in our hometown of Blue Island and I went down one night, listened to some of his songs and listened to him sing, and I loved him. I drove him home that night and asked him if he wanted to put something together with me and he said he'd love to." As Chip recalls, "We sat around one day and with my little four-track, and boom, we had 14 songs by the end of the day. We played the songs for some friends, they went 'Wow!,' and realized we were on to something." Although Chip had a promising career ahead of him as a minor league baseball player, he felt he had more to say writing songs than throwing baseballs, so Enough Z'Nuff soon went into full gear, incorportating members Gino Martino and B.W. Boeski. And Donnie, well he was born to write music.

Donnie admits, "When he (Chip) met me, I looked like Howdy Doody. I had these little orange hairs that stood straight up, tons of make-up on--Hollywood Square look...

"My mom worked and I had no father, so I had to raise my two little sisters. I played bars at 14, 15, places I had no business being, with a 2 and 3-year-old sitting in a stroller under a bunch of coats sleeping while I played. So how do you tell one working parent with three mouths to feed, 'Hey, Mom, I'm gonna be a rock star?' She was like, 'No, you're either gonna get a job or get the hell out of here.' So I got my own apartment at 15. But I understand where she was coming from. Not a lot of cats from Blue Island make it in the music business." Donnie was quickly adopted into the Z'Nuff family, and they continued to hone their craft with Chip's tape recorder in the basement of their Blue Island home.

Chip, Donnie, Gino, and B.W. Boeski in a promo picture


Another classic photo!
And "make it," they soon would. Quickly after the band formed in 1985, they got funding (with the financial help of a fellow police officer) to record a demo tape they aptly titled "Hollywood Squares." The band altered their name from "Enough Z'Nuff" to the now familiar "Enuff Z'Nuff," band members Gino Martino and B.W. Boeski left, and Enuff Z'Nuff replaced them with drummer Vikki Foxx and ex-Le Mans guitarist Derek Frigo. They built a strong following in Chicago and in 1986 aspiring director John McNaughton chose one of their songs, "Fingers On It," for the soundtrack of his soon to be cult-classic movie Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer.

Cover Art for Le Mans' Self-Titled Album
After 4 years of playing local gigs and recording countless demos, the band got their big break. With offers from Atlantic (ATCO), Capitol, Chrystalis, and Warner Brothers, the band signed in with Derek Shulman (Bon Jovi, AC/DC) and ATCO records.

In 1989, Enuff Z'Nuff released their self-titled album. "New Thing" quickly tore up the radio charts and became a favorite on MTV. They responded by releasing a touching rock ballad called "Fly High Michelle," a true story about the death of one of Donnie's friends. That too became a hit and elevated the band's hot album to near gold status.

But, life for the band wasn't perfect. The co-producer of the record, Ron Fajerstein, issued a statement claiming he owned the band and funded their demos (both of which were lies), and although the band fired him, lawsuits kept the band from making the money they deserved. Also, the band's glam image became a problem. The music videos showed the band in lipstick and were a lot more colorful than anticipated. "We looked like idiots," Donnie would quickly admit. "Most people didn't even pay attention to our music."


Autographed Enuff Z'Nuff Poster, Circa 1990

ATCO Promo Shot
And the image was out of place. Enuff Z'Nuff ultimately got lumped with "party-rock" bands of the era, when in reality their music had the depth and stylings of classic '60s British rock. Legal problems made their tour with Motley Crue fall through, and the band's image cost them a major tour with Aerosmith. "It was completely the opposite of what we started out to do," Vie said in an interview. "Maybe we did a little bit of jumping on the bandwagon, because Poison and the look were happening at that time, but we aren't a heavy metal band."

Still, the band had a lot going for them, they earned a legion of fans, praise from their peers (Kiss' Paul Stanley called their album a classic) and eventually landed a very successful tour with label-mates Mr. Big. Enuff Z'Nuff tracks get chosen for T.V. shows ("Hot Little Summer Girl for Beverly Hills 90210 and "I Could Never Be Without You" for Northern Exposure).

In late 1990 they once again settled into the studio, this time to record their follow-up album. Enuff Z'Nuff was disappointed that people seemed to be listening to the band with their eyes instead of their ears. Detirmined to show the world that Enuff Z'Nuff wasn't the glam/hair-metal band the press made them out to be, they happily ditched the make-up and concentrated on making deep, powerful songs for their next album they would appropriately name "Strength."

Part II