Britny Fox

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Britny Fox
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1985–1992
  • 2000–2008
  • 2010
  • 2015–present
LabelsColumbia, CBS Records, East West, Spitfire
Associated actsCinderella, Jillson, Waysted, Tangier, Blackeyed Susan
Websitebritnyfox.com
MembersBilly Childs
Johnny Dee
Tommy Paris
Chris Sanders
Past membersJamie Fletcher
Greg Polcari
Greg D'Angelo
Michael Kelly Smith
Dean Davidson
Tony Destra
Adam Ferraioli (Get the LED Out)
Tommy Krash
Henry Now

Britny Fox is an American glam metal band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, initially active from 1985 to 1992 then subsequently reforming from 2000 to 2008 and then again reforming in 2015. They are best known for their music video for "Girlschool" and their minor hit "Long Way to Love" (U.S. No. 100). Bassist Billy Childs has been the only band member to be a part of each of the band's many lineups.

Drummer Johnny Dee performing live with Britny Fox

History[]

Britny Fox formed in 1986 in Philadelphia. The band was originally fronted by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist "Dizzy" Dean Davidson. The band also featured Billy Childs on bass, former Cinderella guitarist Michael Kelly Smith on lead guitar and former Cinderella drummer Tony Destra on drums.[8] The idea for the band's name was inspired by Davidson, who named the band in honor of a Welsh ancestor. They were described on a compilation as "trashy Victorian glam".[9]

Thanks to their connections to Cinderella, the band was able to secure a major recording contract. However, just as things were beginning to look bright for the band, they soon dimmed. Tony Destra was killed in a car accident in 1987.[10] Facing a tour, they hired drummer Adam West (aka Adam Ferraioli) temporarily until landing what turned out to be long-term drummer, John DiTeodoro (Johnny Dee), who had been the drummer for the band Waysted.[9]

The band released a demo in 1986 titled In America, which drummer Tony Destra played on, and a demo in 1987 titled Rock Is Gonna Fight, which drummer Adam West played on. The band's self-titled debut album, released in 1988,[11] was one of the most successful premieres of the 1988–89 season, selling gold (500,000+ copies) and bringing more than 625,000 fans to their 130+ shows opening for Poison and Warrant. They also won Metal Edge magazine's 1988 Reader's Choice Award for Best New Band.[12] After the release of the band's second album in 1989, Boys in Heat, Davidson departed, and formed the band Blackeyed Susan.[11] He was replaced by Las Vegas native Tommy Paris aka Don Jillson formerly of the band Jillson.[13] Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde and Poison drummer Rikki Rockett guested on the band's third album, Bite Down Hard, which was released in 1991. However, the popularity of glam metal was on a decline around the time of the album's release, due to the rising popularity of the alternative rock/grunge movement.[citation needed] Britny Fox disbanded in 1992 for various reasons.[11]

Britny Fox reunited in 2000 with the same line-up before their disbandment, and released a fourth studio album, Springhead Motorshark, in 2003. The band toured the US and Europe in 2007 and 2008. Guitarist Tommy Krash and former White Lion drummer Greg D'Angelo was supposed to join at that time, but he broke his foot during rehearsal and was replaced by Henry Now. During this time Billy Childs and Tommy Krash began recording an acoustic album with select Britny Fox songs. Time ran out before the start of the 2007 tour and the CD was never finished. Tommy Krash released this CD in 2019 under the name Tommy Krash and Friends, BRITNY FOX the Acoustic Sessions. The CD included Billy Childs and Tommy Paris as well as other special guests.

As of late 2007, Britny Fox reformed under original bassist Billy Childs. The other former members of this line-up were lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jamie Fletcher, lead guitarist Greg Polcari, and drummer Henry Now.

Bassist Billy Childs had a minor but billed role in the horror film Incest Death Squad (2009).[14] Childs is currently playing bass in the North American Led Zeppelin tribute band Get the Led Out, "The American Led Zeppelin".[15]

In 2010, "Dizzy" Dean Davidson unsuccessfully attempted to reunite the surviving members of the original line-up.

On April 25, 2015, the band announced that they had reunited with bassist Billy Childs, drummer Johnny Dee, long-time singer/rhythm guitarist Tommy Paris and new lead guitarist Chris Sanders as their line-up and that they are recording a new album.[16] This lineup played six shows in 2015 and eight shows in 2016, but none since.[17] Their last performance, on a Monsters of Rock cruise in October 2016, ended with several dozen mostly middle-aged women dancing wildly to the song "Girlschool".[18] In a 2017 interview, Childs stated that the album project had been abandoned, but he stopped short of saying that the band had broken up.[19] In 2018, Sanders joined Britny Fox's rival band Ratt.

Line-ups[]

(1985–1987)
  • Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Tony Destra – drums, percussion
(February–March 1987)
  • Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Adam West – drums, percussion
(1987–1989)
  • Dean Davidson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(1990–1992), (2000–2006)
  • Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Michael Kelly Smith – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2006–2007)
  • Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Tommy Krash – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Greg D'Angelo – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2007)
  • Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Tommy Krash – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Henry Now – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2008)
  • Jamie Fletcher – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Greg Polcari – lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Henry Now – drums, percussion, backing vocals
(2015–present)
  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals
  • Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Chris Sanders – lead guitar

Members[]

Present[]

  • Billy Childs – bass, backing vocals (1985–1992; 2000–2008; 2015–present)
  • Tommy Paris – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1990–1992; 2000–2007; 2015–present)
  • Johnny Dee – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1987–1992; 2000–2006; 2015–present)
  • Chris Sanders – lead guitar (2015–present)

Past[]

Vocals/rhythm guitar[]

Lead guitar[]

  • Michael Kelly Smith (1985–1992; 2000–2006)
  • Tommy Krash (2006–2007)
  • Keith Plants (2007)
  • Greg Polcari (2008)

Drums[]

Touring keyboards[]

  • Bobby Bunten (1988–1989)

Timeline[]

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Year Album US RIAA Certification Label
1987 In America - - Wolfe
1988 Britny Fox 39 Gold CBS
1989 Boys in Heat 79 - CBS
1991 Bite Down Hard - - EastWest
2003 Springhead Motorshark - - Spitfire

Video albums[]

Year Album US RIAA Certification Label
1989 Year of the Fox - - CBS

Live albums[]

Year Album US RIAA Certification Label
2001 Long Way to Live! - - Spitfire
2002 Live at Froggy's - - Britny Fox Records
2006 Extended Versions - - SBME Special Markets

Compilation albums[]

Year Album US RIAA Certification Label
2001 The Best of Britny Fox - - CBS

Singles[]

Year Single Chart positions Album
US Hot 100[20] US Main Rock UK
1988 "Long Way to Love" 100 33 - Britny Fox
1989 "Girlschool" - -
"Save the Weak" - - -
"Standing in the Shadows" - - - Boys in Heat
1990 "Dream On" - 34 -
1991 "Louder" - - - Bite Down Hard
"Over and Out" - - -
2003 "Is It Real?" - - - Springhead Motorshark
2007 "Girlschool" "Long Way to Love" - - - Non-album single

Demos[]

  • Rock Is Gonna Fight (1987)
  • The Bite Down Hard Demo Sessions (2003)
  • Forbidden Fruits: The Bite Down Hard Demos, Volume I (2020)
  • Forbidden Fruits: The Bite Down Hard Demos, Volume II (2020)

Bootlegs[]

  • Gudbuy T'Dean (2001)

Other appearances[]

Year Album Song US RIAA Certification Label
1991 Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin' "Turn On" - - MCA
2019 Tommy Krash and Friends, BRITNY FOX the Acoustic Sessions Compilation - - Independent

Soundtrack[]

Year Song Movie Description
1988 "Living on the Edge" Iron Eagle II Starring Louis Gossett Jr.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-8460-9091-2.
  2. ^ "Whatever Happened To: The B-Listers of Hair Metal". Consequence. 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  3. ^ "The Top 10 Biggest Hair Bands ... Literally | Guitar World". 2015-11-15. Archived from the original on 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  4. ^ McPadden 9/24/2015, Mike. "The Hair Metal 100: Ranking the '80s Greatest Glam Bands, Part 4". VH1 News. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  5. ^ "Perfect Sound Forever: Hair Metal". www.furious.com. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  6. ^ Company, Tampa Publishing. "When you think 'Britny Fox' ... does this group and song come to mind?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  7. ^ Blabbermouth (2008-02-18). "BRITNY FOX Off UK's Z ROCK 08 Festival; Replacement Act To Be Announced". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  8. ^ Phillips, William (2009-03-20). Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music. Greenwich, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-0-313-34800-6. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Sleaze Roxx: Britny Fox". May 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  10. ^ Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door. London: Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-84609-091-2. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 81. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  12. ^ Blush, Steven (2006). American Hair Metal. Los Angeles, CA: Feral House. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-932595-18-5. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Sleaze Roxx: Tommy Paris Interview". January 24, 2010. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  14. ^ "Incest Death Squad (2009)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.
  15. ^ "Billy Childs bio". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "BRITNY FOX Has Reunited And Is Back In Studio". Blabbermouth.net. April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  17. ^ "Britny Fox Tour Statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  18. ^ "Britny Fox - Girl School". YouTube.
  19. ^ Alamo, Angel (March 11, 2017). "Interview with Billy Childs (Britny Fox)". Angelalamo.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  20. ^ "The Hot 100 Chart - October 1st, 1988". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-03-25.

External links[]

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