D'Molls

D'Molls, also known as D'Molls 777, is an American heavy metal and glam metal band. Featuring lead vocalist/guitarist Desi Rexx, bassist Lizzy Valentine, guitarist S. S. Priest, and drummer Billy Dior,[3] the band signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in the 1980s.

D'Molls / D'Molls 777
D'Molls 777 2023 Press Photo
D'Molls 777 2023 Press Photo
Background information
Also known asThe Chicago Molls (1984) D'Molls 777 (2023 - Current)
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
GenresHeavy metal,[1] glam metal[2]
Years active1984-1991, 2018 - Present
LabelsAtlantic, FnA Records, Valley of Fire
MembersDesi Rexx (vocals, guitar)
Jonni Lightfoot (bass, vocals)
Van Christensen (drums, vocals)
Mick James (lead guitar, vocals)
Past membersLizzy Valentine
S. Scot Priest
Billy Dior
Sean Freehill
Jim Bashaw

History

Billy McCarthy, a drummer from Chicago, played with the bands Kid Rocker[4] and the Screamin' Mimis. After trying his luck in Los Angeles for five years, McCarthy came back to Chicago in 1984, changed his name to Billy Dior,[4] and founded The Chicago Molls together with Desi Rexx and Lizzy Valentine.[5] The band played hard rock and glam rock. After rehearsing for about a year and performing in The Limelight nightclub in the style of the New York Dolls—even sporting lingerie[4]—the band later toned down this approach[6] when they relocated to Los Angeles at Dior's urging; he found the city to be the best place to pursue a recording contract.[5] Guitarist S. Scot ("S.S.") Priest was still under contract with his other band Diamond Rexx, so he could not follow the band there,[7] and instead was replaced by Sean Freehill.[8]

Two weeks after arriving in Los Angeles, while the band was recording demos in a recording studio, they decided to have a few drinks at a pub down the street. There, they met two girls who were friends with an A&R person, and brought the girls back to the studio with them. When the A&R person came looking for the girls, the bandmates played their demos for him. Although seemingly disinterested at first, he agreed to try and get them a recording contract. Eight months later, the band, now under the name D'Molls, signed a contract with Atlantic Records,[5] with Priest rejoining the band at this time. [7] Two years later, they released their debut album, D'Molls.[5] The video for "777" received some airplay on MTV, but album sales failed to prosper.[9] In 1990, the band released their second and final album on the Atlantic label, Warped.[5][7] Featuring tracks "Real Love" and "Father Time", it combined simple sounding musical patterns with varying beat speeds.[10] However, vocalist Rexx quit D'Molls and joined The David Lee Roth Band before the album's promotion campaign even got off the ground,[11] and the group disbanded shortly thereafter.[9] They did not release another album until 1996, when Delinquent Records featured the group's third and final album, Beyond D'Valley Of D'Molls, which featured three live tracks as well as previously unreleased studio recordings. There also exists a best of compilation CD, The Best of Everything, which came out in 2007. In 2011 Rexx released Desi Rexx's D'Moll's "D'Sides" on FnA Records.[4]

In 2004, Dior published a thriller novel under his birth name, Billy McCarthy, The Devil of Shakespeare,[12] inspired in part by his experiences with the band and the 1980s Los Angeles glam rock scene.[4] In 2015, he sued Poison for copyright infringement on several Poison hit songs, including, "Talk Dirty To Me," for which the band failed to credit him as co-writer. Dior had played with Poison guitarist C.C. Deville when both were members of Kid Rocker and Screamin' Mimis. Poison ultimately settled with Dior out of court for an undeclared sum. In 2017, McCarthy published his sophomore effort at writing, Beat Me Till I'm Famous,[4][13] an autobiographical memoir of his rags to rags experience as a professional musician in the 1980s, most of which covers the entire D'Molls story.

In 2018, Rexx reformed the band with Jonni Lightfoot (Air Supply 2001 - 2016) under the new name D'Molls 777, in homage to their song "777".[14] D'Molls 1988 debut album was remastered and re-released on Rock Candy Records. In February 2023 D'Molls 777 released their first new single in many years, "Blue", on Valley of Fire Records. Rexx, a convert to Mormonism, lives with his wife and 3 children in Centerville, Utah.[9]

Discography

Singles
  • "Blue", released under D'Molls 777 (February 14, 2023) Valley of Fire Records

Studio albums
  • D'Molls (1988)[15]
  • Warped (June 28, 1990)[3]
  • Beyond D'Valley Of D'Molls (1997)
  • Desi Rexx's D'Molls "D'Sides" (2011) FnA Records

Compilation albums
  • The Best of Everything (2007)[16]

Live albums
  • Desi Rexx & S.S. Priest of D'Molls Double Platinum Live (2009)

Former members
  • S. Scot ("S.S.") Priest - lead guitar (1984-1985; 1986-1991)
  • Sean Freehill - lead guitar (1985)
  • Lizzy Valentine - bass guitar (1984-1991)
  • Billy Dior - drums (1984-1991)

References
  1. "D'Molls – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  2. Popoff, Martin (2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade. Voyageur Press. pp. 57, 83, 121, 182, 190. ISBN 978-0-76034-546-7.
  3. Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 92. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
  4. "'Beat Me 'Til I'm Famous' is drummer Billy McCarthy's book filled with ghosts of '80s music". Chicago Tribune. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  5. Popson, Tom (Aug 24, 1990) "Careers and Luck: Two Tales From Styx and D'Molls", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  6. Darling, Cary (December 6, 1987) Headbangers' Haven: L.A. Plays Host to a New Generation of Glam and Speed-Metal Bands", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  7. Caro, Mark (Nov 9, 1990) D'Molls Left Out as Game of Musical Chairs Continues, Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  8. "Sleaze Roxx: d'Molls". Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  9. Harward, Randy. "R'Solved". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  10. Miller, Glen (July 26, 1990) Recent Releases", Calgary Herald. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  11. Herrmann, Brenda (April 21, 1991) "Metal's Alloys: New Breed of Rockers Could Be Heavy Hitters", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  12. Billy McCarthy (July 20, 2017). The Devil of Shakespeare. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1548898502.
  13. Billy McCarthy (July 20, 2017). Beat Me Till I'm Famous. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1548424251.
  14. Callwood, Brett (2022-07-26). "D'Molls at D'Whisky". www.laweekly.com. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  15. "D'Molls Discography". Sprit-of-metal.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  16. "FnA Records: Desi Rexx - D'Molls D-sides". Fnarecords.net.
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