The year was 1982 and LAs soon to be famous heavy metal scene had yet to erupt. As the summer neared its end, several local musicians, whose bands had just broken-up, decided to throw an outdoor bash and have a jam session. The impromptu group called itself db and its members included: ANN BOLEYN (keyboards), RAY SHENK (guitarist) , PEYTON TUTHILL (bassist), and SEAN KELLY (drums). Sean, from San Francisco, and Peyton Tuthill, from St. Paul, had met while attending Musicians Institute of Technology in Hollywood. Ann had met Ray Shenk when her previous band stole lead-singer DAVID REESE (later of ACCEPT & BANGALORE CHOIR) for her own group, BEOWULF, from Rays band! Now with all the bands broke-up, it was time for a party!

The success of the event encouraged the musicians to do it again . . .and again . . . and again! When a neighbor complained about the noisy neighbors, calling them Hellions, the band adopted the name by which they would later be famous.

There was only one problem: the band had no singer! At first, members shared vocal duties, but, later Ann took over. For several months the group supported itself by throwing massive outdoor parties at a regionally famous haunted mansion where the singer lived. However, by early 1983, the mansion1s owner announced plans to build apartments on the site of the mansion, and the band no longer had a home.

About this same time a booking agent saw the picture of singer ANN BOLEYN and became infatuated. Without ever hearing the band, seeing a video, or looking at their song list, the agent arranged a tour of top west coast night clubs. While HELLION attracted large crowds, the band was far from what the club owners had expected. We looked at the picture, saw the girl singer, and figured the band would sound like HEART or FLEETWOOD MAC,2 complained the owner of one club. However, instead of popular rock songs, the girl singer screamed obscure numbers by UFO, BLACK SABBATH, SCORPIONS, and RAINBOW.

Thrown off the club circuit and broke, HELLION returned to LA. However, by New Years Eve the group had began including original songs in their show, performed several gigs, and landed a record contract withMYSTIC RECORDS in Hollywood. (Their early recordings on Mystic are now considered highly collectible. At record auctions they have fetched as much as 500 pounds sterling (the currency of England)!)

Features in European magazines such as KERRANG, AARDSCHOK, and METAL HAMMER attracted the attention of a new record company, MUSIC FOR NATIONS, based in London. Music For Nations Records had recently made headlines for signing half a dozen then-unknown groups including METALLICA, ANTHRAX, MERCYFUL FATE, MANOWAR, and W.A.S.P.. Anxious to release a new HELLION record, Music For Nations paid for the band to reenter the studio and record two new tracks, which were added to the original four sing demo and released as a self-titled MINI LP.

The mini-LP debuted on the TOMMY VANCE rock show on the BBC and launched the record to #6 on England's rock charts in KERRANG and SOUNDS MAGAZINE. A one night stand at the Marquee club in London followed, as did plenty of offers.

Back in Los Angeles the heavy metal scene was beginning to explode. Major record labels signed band, after band, after band. W.A.S.P. . . . ROUGH CUTT . . . MALICE . . .GREAT WHITE . . .RATT . . .MOTLEY CRÜE . . .STEELER . . .ARMORED SAINT . . .WARRANT, KEEL, BLACK & BLUE . . . just to name a few! The labels, however, were confused about what to do with HELLION! Despite having one of the largest fan base of any LA group, the band received no major offers.

Amidst the Los Angeles metal explosion, singer RONNIE JAMES DIO, formerly of RITCHIE BLACKMORES RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH, had formed a new band DIO and relocated to California. Having come back from Europe, and surprised that HELLION still had no major record deal, he enlisted the aid of his own manager to help the band. The relationship continued until 1986 and led to publicity appearances and tours with groups including WHITESNAKE, DIO, and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.

By 1986, still without a recording contract in America, the band was restless. When members began considering offers from other acts, the need for a change was necessary and unavoidable. The male members voiced their belief that the combination of the group1s heavy sound and the female singer was viewed as 3not commercial2 by the labels and had prevented their success. Since the band had been founded by the singer ANN BOLEYN, who1d registered the name HELLION, they could not 3kick her out.2 Instead, the group1s male members obtained a new (male) singer, RICHARD PARICO, and formed a new band called BURN.

ANN BOLEYN,/b>, now on her own, got to work, too. Within several months she had a new line-up which included: GREG PECKA (formerly of DOKKEN) on drums, ALEX CAMPBELL (formerly of ROBIN TROWER) on bass, and CHET THOMPSON on guitar. The new HELLIONdebuted at THE TROUBADOUR in a show attended by members of DIO, IRON MAIDEN, THE SCORPIONS, VAN HALEN, and MOTLEY CRÜE. When major record labels failed to offer a contract at the first show, the band enacted a new plan: they started their own record company!

Without investors, loans, or partners, ANN BOLEYN sold her keyboard equipment and purchased studio time and later to have the recordings pressed on disc. The first single, 3Bad Attitude,2 was immediately popular on college and mainsteam rock radio and was eventually made into a video which gained MTV airplay.

The years which followed saw HELLIONrecording and touring throughout the world. The band never became a major force in America, however, the group continues to enjoy radio airplay in many countries in Europe and South America. HELLION merchandise is considered highly collectible and has garnered surprising sums among record traders.

Links to other sites on the Web

Ann Boleyn's Biography
Chet Thompson's Biography
More Info on Hellion
Hellion Trivia
Hellion Hordes Homepage