Chet Thompson's background, however, prepared him for the high-pressure situation which was to be his destiny. His background included classical guitar training. He was a best friend of RANDY RHODES, and like Randy, also taught guitar lessons. After Randy's death it was Chet who assumed much of Randy's teaching responsibility.
Unlike Hellion's notorious singer, ANN BOLEYN, Chet has made it known to his fans that he is a Christian. In fact, prior to Chet's joining HELLION, he had hoped to become a member of STRIPER. (It is for this reason that Chet's page is yellow & black!)
Several stories (from questionable sources, I might add) have circulated concerning why Chet wasn't accepted in Stryper. A music journalist (who asked me not to include his name) once explained that Stryper's management was furious when they learned that Chet was not married to the woman with whom he shared a house. Another source told me that one of Stryper's members visited Chet's home and discovered that he owned records by OZZY and DIO.
To Chet's credit, he did not try to copy the previous guitarists' sound or style. But, instead, added his own touch on his Hellion debut, SCREAMS IN THE NIGHT. His work on this album resulted in opportunities to be a spokesman for several guitar manufacturers. He also received excellent reviews in many international guitar magazines.
Chet left the band after SCREAMS IN THE NIGHT. Magazines like KERRANG and HIT PARADER explained that he wanted to be in a "more commercially viable" band at a time when the group was becoming heavier and darker in its themes. Chet did rejoin the band just in time for Hellion's tour of the former Soviet Union. An article in METAL SCENE said Chet performed at two MONSTERS OF ROCK concerts in Saint Petersburg (then called "Lenningrad"), and at a fesival at Moscow's Olympic Arena (the world's largets indoor arena). However, the poor accomodations and inconveniences in the then-crumbling USSR prompted him to leave the tour and return home early. RAY SCHENCK, an "original member," took his place for the remainder of the tour.
In the late 1980s, rumours were "going 'round" that Chet was playing guitar in a band made-up of the back-up singers of MOTLEY CRUE. For an update of his activities, please visit my Chet Thompson Update Page. Most of these were obtained from the Official Hellion Web Site. (That site now has pages devoted to each of the Hellion members.)
