Exclusive Interview with Great White -Lyric Promotions 2013
Great white is:
Terry Ilous (vocals)
Mark Kendall (lead guitar)
Scott Snyder (bass)
Audie Desbrow (drums)
Michael Lardie(guitar keyboards)
It's a real honor to interview you guys. I love Great White!
Let's give some background on you, Terry. You are quite accomplished.
You were born in Europe, to a French mother and Spanish father. With your Father being a guitarist, what kind of music influence did you grow up with?
Hello, Thank you so much for the compliment. I come from a family of artists, my Dad's advice was to open my heart to all genres of music. Initially, I grew up listening to Flamenco, World Music, and, of course, R &B. Eventually, I started listening to Rock music.
How old were you when you started singing?
My first recollection of my singing was when I was five years old. When we traveled, I would sing in the subway. I loved to entertain the passengers. My mom let me sing for the crowds because it kept me occupied and out of trouble! I sang at all the family gatherings, e.g. weddings, Bar Mitzvah's etc. My parents enjoyed how I entertained the guests.
What was it like for you, in the beginning moving to Los Angeles?
It was very difficult! I arrived here with $500! At that time, I thought that was a lot of money. Immediately I realized I was wrong and had to find a job. Unfortunately, I did not speak English so I did what i could to make money. Eventually, I learned English by watching a lot of TV with closed caption.
Obviously, a good move for you. Considering, you have performed with and shared the stage with some well known artists. Including becoming a member of band, XYZ and Great White.
Yes, it's been an exciting road full of ups and downs. I learned how to appreciate the good times without indulging myself. I also learned that hard times make you stronger. It's never easy to succeed. I have always been my biggest critic. I'm constantly looking to improve so I tend to be unsatisfied which isn't always a good thing.
Did you ever think you would be where you are today?
Deep down, I knew I would eventually become successful. I never lost hope. I've been through some very dark moments not knowing if I would make it through another night. Fortunately, morning came and I was still alive. I never lost hope. I am a survivor. If we ever experience, "the morning after," few living things would have survived, "cockroaches and me." Not a pretty metaphor, but a real one!
Great white is:
Terry Ilous (vocals)
Mark Kendall (lead guitar)
Scott Snyder (bass)
Audie Desbrow (drums)
Michael Lardie(guitar keyboards)
It's a real honor to interview you guys. I love Great White!
Let's give some background on you, Terry. You are quite accomplished.
You were born in Europe, to a French mother and Spanish father. With your Father being a guitarist, what kind of music influence did you grow up with?
Hello, Thank you so much for the compliment. I come from a family of artists, my Dad's advice was to open my heart to all genres of music. Initially, I grew up listening to Flamenco, World Music, and, of course, R &B. Eventually, I started listening to Rock music.
How old were you when you started singing?
My first recollection of my singing was when I was five years old. When we traveled, I would sing in the subway. I loved to entertain the passengers. My mom let me sing for the crowds because it kept me occupied and out of trouble! I sang at all the family gatherings, e.g. weddings, Bar Mitzvah's etc. My parents enjoyed how I entertained the guests.
What was it like for you, in the beginning moving to Los Angeles?
It was very difficult! I arrived here with $500! At that time, I thought that was a lot of money. Immediately I realized I was wrong and had to find a job. Unfortunately, I did not speak English so I did what i could to make money. Eventually, I learned English by watching a lot of TV with closed caption.
Obviously, a good move for you. Considering, you have performed with and shared the stage with some well known artists. Including becoming a member of band, XYZ and Great White.
Yes, it's been an exciting road full of ups and downs. I learned how to appreciate the good times without indulging myself. I also learned that hard times make you stronger. It's never easy to succeed. I have always been my biggest critic. I'm constantly looking to improve so I tend to be unsatisfied which isn't always a good thing.
Did you ever think you would be where you are today?
Deep down, I knew I would eventually become successful. I never lost hope. I've been through some very dark moments not knowing if I would make it through another night. Fortunately, morning came and I was still alive. I never lost hope. I am a survivor. If we ever experience, "the morning after," few living things would have survived, "cockroaches and me." Not a pretty metaphor, but a real one!
| Besides performing in bands. You have also written and published more than 500 songs for artists ,films and television, right? Yes, I've written many songs. Writing is therapy for me. I enjoy the process of creating and producing. I also enjoy collaborating with other artists. I learn from them. I believe life is a journey no one should ever stop learning. | |
Are you still as involved in writing on other projects?
Currently, I'm not writing songs for anyone in particular but, you never know! I am,
however, working on an acoustic CD. I decided to pay tribute to some of the
songs I love, written by various artists who have inspired me. It's been an
ongoing project I started a while ago. It will be finished within the next few
months.
You have pretty much done it all!. Acting, voice overs, commercial jingles etc. It really amazes all the things you have done. And I am sure I don't even know the half of it.
There are so many things I want to accomplish. I want to be a better man. I am a
complex man, I don't always love myself, so I need to work on self acceptance. I will find love and happiness when I love and understand just who I am.
What was it like, being a voiceover??
I love doing voice overs! I get to create a character, it allows me to become someone else. I totally get into the character. My facials expressions, demeanor all change. It's really amazing. I really love acting!
Let's talk about Great White, now. You didn't have a lot of time to rehearse when you first started playing with Great White, did you??
Mark called me on a Wednesday asking me if I could do few dates as Jack was gravely
ill. I said, "sure of course!" Mark gently replied, "Cool, see you tomorrow!" I flipped, wow ! Tomorrow? I packed my bag kissed my wife and daughter, and headed to Los Angeles. Life moves at warp speed. Sometimes you make a decision in a split second that will change the course of your life!
I love the story about you getting the gig. Can you tell our readers about the day you got the text from Mark Kendall, to play for Great White ?
I was in San Diego with my wife and daughter. We literally had just arrived when I received a text message from Mark " Hey bro, are you around ?" We were on vacation at a beautiful hotel by the sea. I didn't respond right away. I went to the beach. There was a sign posted, "WARNING! No Swimming Great White Shark Sighting!" Wow, what a bummer! I couldn't swim, but I was really excited at the possibility of seeing the shark! I went back to my hotel. Mark had sent me a few more text messages " Hey bro!" I found it baffling that the beach was closed because of the Great White shark and another kind of Great White just texted me! I responded and the rest is history . It is a powerful story. If you Google it, you'll discover that there is actual footage of people filming the shark on August 11 or 12 in La Jolla CA! As I said earlier, opportunity happen when you least expect it. I was ready, or maybe I faked it? ah ah
Terry, your vocals are amazing and hearing you perform songs, old and new seems so natural for you. When you were writing, 'Elation' with your band mates. How natural did it feel working with the rest of, Great White. I mean lets face it... even though you have been with the band for quite a while now, you are still pretty much 'the new kid on the block'.
Thanks again for the compliment. I think I will always be the new kid on the block for some fans. The band has had an amazing career. They have sold over 10 million CD's and had a great frontman .So stepping in was difficult but the challenge made me a better singer as I've learned a lot about myself. I had to respect the original sound without becoming a clone. Besides, those songs are very hard to sing.
Replacing the original singer can be tough. People are used to a sound and don't want to hear it change. When I sing the classic Great White hits, I make sure to respect the core structure of the melody. However, I have never tried to clone Jack. I respect the style and add my own twist. It’s not the first time that I have been asked to replace a well known singer. It's probably one of the reasons I wasn’t selected to be in Foreigner or Journey. I love and respect Lou Gramm and Steve Perry (what's not to love about two iconic singers?) The guys in Great White took a big chance in hiring me. They could have hired a clone, after all Journey and Foreigner did that. By letting their previous singer go, the guys in GW closed one chapter, and started a new chapter. In doing that, they followed in the footsteps of " Deep Purple and AC/DC" who hired total strangers to replace their iconic singers.
Currently, I'm not writing songs for anyone in particular but, you never know! I am,
however, working on an acoustic CD. I decided to pay tribute to some of the
songs I love, written by various artists who have inspired me. It's been an
ongoing project I started a while ago. It will be finished within the next few
months.
You have pretty much done it all!. Acting, voice overs, commercial jingles etc. It really amazes all the things you have done. And I am sure I don't even know the half of it.
There are so many things I want to accomplish. I want to be a better man. I am a
complex man, I don't always love myself, so I need to work on self acceptance. I will find love and happiness when I love and understand just who I am.
What was it like, being a voiceover??
I love doing voice overs! I get to create a character, it allows me to become someone else. I totally get into the character. My facials expressions, demeanor all change. It's really amazing. I really love acting!
Let's talk about Great White, now. You didn't have a lot of time to rehearse when you first started playing with Great White, did you??
Mark called me on a Wednesday asking me if I could do few dates as Jack was gravely
ill. I said, "sure of course!" Mark gently replied, "Cool, see you tomorrow!" I flipped, wow ! Tomorrow? I packed my bag kissed my wife and daughter, and headed to Los Angeles. Life moves at warp speed. Sometimes you make a decision in a split second that will change the course of your life!
I love the story about you getting the gig. Can you tell our readers about the day you got the text from Mark Kendall, to play for Great White ?
I was in San Diego with my wife and daughter. We literally had just arrived when I received a text message from Mark " Hey bro, are you around ?" We were on vacation at a beautiful hotel by the sea. I didn't respond right away. I went to the beach. There was a sign posted, "WARNING! No Swimming Great White Shark Sighting!" Wow, what a bummer! I couldn't swim, but I was really excited at the possibility of seeing the shark! I went back to my hotel. Mark had sent me a few more text messages " Hey bro!" I found it baffling that the beach was closed because of the Great White shark and another kind of Great White just texted me! I responded and the rest is history . It is a powerful story. If you Google it, you'll discover that there is actual footage of people filming the shark on August 11 or 12 in La Jolla CA! As I said earlier, opportunity happen when you least expect it. I was ready, or maybe I faked it? ah ah
Terry, your vocals are amazing and hearing you perform songs, old and new seems so natural for you. When you were writing, 'Elation' with your band mates. How natural did it feel working with the rest of, Great White. I mean lets face it... even though you have been with the band for quite a while now, you are still pretty much 'the new kid on the block'.
Thanks again for the compliment. I think I will always be the new kid on the block for some fans. The band has had an amazing career. They have sold over 10 million CD's and had a great frontman .So stepping in was difficult but the challenge made me a better singer as I've learned a lot about myself. I had to respect the original sound without becoming a clone. Besides, those songs are very hard to sing.
Replacing the original singer can be tough. People are used to a sound and don't want to hear it change. When I sing the classic Great White hits, I make sure to respect the core structure of the melody. However, I have never tried to clone Jack. I respect the style and add my own twist. It’s not the first time that I have been asked to replace a well known singer. It's probably one of the reasons I wasn’t selected to be in Foreigner or Journey. I love and respect Lou Gramm and Steve Perry (what's not to love about two iconic singers?) The guys in Great White took a big chance in hiring me. They could have hired a clone, after all Journey and Foreigner did that. By letting their previous singer go, the guys in GW closed one chapter, and started a new chapter. In doing that, they followed in the footsteps of " Deep Purple and AC/DC" who hired total strangers to replace their iconic singers.
How is it like writing with, Terry??
(Mark Kendall)
We love writing with Terry! He has tremendous energy, he has really good ideas, and he is a very good listener. Being a good listener is a wonderful trait to own:-).
When you started Great White. Did you ever think you would being doing it for 30 years?
Of course not but I think the reason it has lasted so long is that we allow ourselves the freedom to create new music. We are always trying to improve on the past and that keeps us all motivated. Then one day you look up and 30 years has zipped by:-).
How was the name 'Great White' selected?
When we met A&R man Alan Niven who later became our manager. He loved our music and the band but hated our name, which was Dante Fox at the time. My nickname was Great White and he heard some guy scream out "there goes great white" when I went barreling past a club with my head sticking out of a car window screaming something, at a group of people. Alan Niven insisted we change our name and he said why don't we call you guys Great White. We said fine:-).
Really quite an amazing thing when you think about. Music, has went through many, changes over the years. And, so has Great White. But one thing no one can deny is, Great White sounds awesome!
And would you say that you as musicians have changed? And if so how?
I don't think I have really changed much. I still write the same way with cassette players around me all the time. One thing that has changed completely though is the music industry. There are no longer record stores or airplay on the radio to speak of, and the major record companies are having difficulty surviving and having to merge together. The recording process has completely changed which translates into everything being faster. We now do a lot of communicating with the Internet, etc...Getting from point A to point B however is much slower due to extreme traffic with a growing population:-).
(Mark Kendall)
We love writing with Terry! He has tremendous energy, he has really good ideas, and he is a very good listener. Being a good listener is a wonderful trait to own:-).
When you started Great White. Did you ever think you would being doing it for 30 years?
Of course not but I think the reason it has lasted so long is that we allow ourselves the freedom to create new music. We are always trying to improve on the past and that keeps us all motivated. Then one day you look up and 30 years has zipped by:-).
How was the name 'Great White' selected?
When we met A&R man Alan Niven who later became our manager. He loved our music and the band but hated our name, which was Dante Fox at the time. My nickname was Great White and he heard some guy scream out "there goes great white" when I went barreling past a club with my head sticking out of a car window screaming something, at a group of people. Alan Niven insisted we change our name and he said why don't we call you guys Great White. We said fine:-).
Really quite an amazing thing when you think about. Music, has went through many, changes over the years. And, so has Great White. But one thing no one can deny is, Great White sounds awesome!
And would you say that you as musicians have changed? And if so how?
I don't think I have really changed much. I still write the same way with cassette players around me all the time. One thing that has changed completely though is the music industry. There are no longer record stores or airplay on the radio to speak of, and the major record companies are having difficulty surviving and having to merge together. The recording process has completely changed which translates into everything being faster. We now do a lot of communicating with the Internet, etc...Getting from point A to point B however is much slower due to extreme traffic with a growing population:-).
To be honest, as a long time fan of, Great White. I really didn't know what to expect when first listening to, Elation. And I have to say this release goes way beyond my expectations. Great White, really seems to be on their game! Anyone listening to Elation can hear this energy in every song!
What do you think contributes to this the most?
First of all thank you for the compliment, I appreciate that. The vibe was truely electric for whatever reason and that's where the energy came from. When we make music and play together, it has always had an identifiable sound, and I guess that is what makes us a band. People identify with the sound and say that sounds like Great White. When we did a Rockline in Los Angeles recently with world renowned DJ Bob Coburn, he said even with Elation and the new singer Terry Ilous, he knew it was Great White right away, because there is just a certain sound we make when we play together, and you really can't explain it, it's just something that happens.
I heard you guys did this release in about 30 days?? Is that right? What was the rush?
The rush had to do with the release date. If we didn't have it to the record company by a certain deadline date, it was going to delay the release by 3 months. We probably won't do that again, but I don't believe the music suffered at all. Our bodies are a different story though:-)....
How did the name for this release come about?
The theme we were working with had to do with the way we were all feeling at the time, and that was elated. The vibe in the room when we would all get together was electric and full of positive energy that we all embraced whole heartedly:-). The title "Elation" stemmed from that emotion.
Every artist has fun memories that stand out in their mind's. Can you share some of your most memorable, fun show experiences with us??
It's very difficult to come up with one single show, because we have done so many. One that stands out off the top of my head was when we played a festival in Switzerland recently. The people we met there were wonderful and the promoter Lukas Keller has become a very close and dear friend to us. The show was awesome and the fans were
wonderful!!!...
There's a rumor going around about a future DVD release at the 'Key Club'. Any words on this?
That is still in the rumor stages, but we will at some point in the not so distant future put out a live DVD of a live show, but it is possible it might not be from the Key Club..
Gazzarri's, opened in the 60's and was there for like 30 years. Occupying this historical space since 1998, is the World famous Key Club, (9039 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood Ca.) For readers that didn't know.
So this is a pretty special venue ?
It is a special venue due to the legends that performed there. Van Halen was the house band there in the mid-70s and Bill Gazzarri is a total legend. He at one time had a mural painting on the side of the building of me, along with Van Halen, Motley Crue, The Doors and many others. We thought it was a great venue to hold the celebration of 30 years together.
What do you think contributes to this the most?
First of all thank you for the compliment, I appreciate that. The vibe was truely electric for whatever reason and that's where the energy came from. When we make music and play together, it has always had an identifiable sound, and I guess that is what makes us a band. People identify with the sound and say that sounds like Great White. When we did a Rockline in Los Angeles recently with world renowned DJ Bob Coburn, he said even with Elation and the new singer Terry Ilous, he knew it was Great White right away, because there is just a certain sound we make when we play together, and you really can't explain it, it's just something that happens.
I heard you guys did this release in about 30 days?? Is that right? What was the rush?
The rush had to do with the release date. If we didn't have it to the record company by a certain deadline date, it was going to delay the release by 3 months. We probably won't do that again, but I don't believe the music suffered at all. Our bodies are a different story though:-)....
How did the name for this release come about?
The theme we were working with had to do with the way we were all feeling at the time, and that was elated. The vibe in the room when we would all get together was electric and full of positive energy that we all embraced whole heartedly:-). The title "Elation" stemmed from that emotion.
Every artist has fun memories that stand out in their mind's. Can you share some of your most memorable, fun show experiences with us??
It's very difficult to come up with one single show, because we have done so many. One that stands out off the top of my head was when we played a festival in Switzerland recently. The people we met there were wonderful and the promoter Lukas Keller has become a very close and dear friend to us. The show was awesome and the fans were
wonderful!!!...
There's a rumor going around about a future DVD release at the 'Key Club'. Any words on this?
That is still in the rumor stages, but we will at some point in the not so distant future put out a live DVD of a live show, but it is possible it might not be from the Key Club..
Gazzarri's, opened in the 60's and was there for like 30 years. Occupying this historical space since 1998, is the World famous Key Club, (9039 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood Ca.) For readers that didn't know.
So this is a pretty special venue ?
It is a special venue due to the legends that performed there. Van Halen was the house band there in the mid-70s and Bill Gazzarri is a total legend. He at one time had a mural painting on the side of the building of me, along with Van Halen, Motley Crue, The Doors and many others. We thought it was a great venue to hold the celebration of 30 years together.
This is where you first saw Van Halen, Mark?
No, actually the first time I saw Van Halen play, was in a backyard 3 blocks from my house in El Monte California for $1. I knew they were something special right away and I eventually did see them play many times at Gazzarri's.
Any memories you would like to share about Gazzarri's?
There aren't really any one time experiences except to say it was a big part of the Sunset Strip back in the day, and most of my memories stem from Van Halen and all the local bands that used to play there. A lot of them are still my good friends to this day. Some of the bands that played there played originals also and did there original music showcases elsewhere.
Before we wrap this up. Any final words/thoughts you would like to say to your fans??
(Mark Kendall) Sure, I would like to personally thanks all
the Great White fans for being with us all these years. We are truly grateful
for your loyalty!! I always say Great White fans are the greatest fans in the
world, because so many have been around for so long and become our good
friends..
(Terry Ilous) I will be forever grateful to Michael, Mark, Audie, and Scotty,
continue to do my very best, hopefully never disappoint them or the GW fans.
No, actually the first time I saw Van Halen play, was in a backyard 3 blocks from my house in El Monte California for $1. I knew they were something special right away and I eventually did see them play many times at Gazzarri's.
Any memories you would like to share about Gazzarri's?
There aren't really any one time experiences except to say it was a big part of the Sunset Strip back in the day, and most of my memories stem from Van Halen and all the local bands that used to play there. A lot of them are still my good friends to this day. Some of the bands that played there played originals also and did there original music showcases elsewhere.
Before we wrap this up. Any final words/thoughts you would like to say to your fans??
(Mark Kendall) Sure, I would like to personally thanks all
the Great White fans for being with us all these years. We are truly grateful
for your loyalty!! I always say Great White fans are the greatest fans in the
world, because so many have been around for so long and become our good
friends..
(Terry Ilous) I will be forever grateful to Michael, Mark, Audie, and Scotty,
continue to do my very best, hopefully never disappoint them or the GW fans.
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