Great White's Ilous: 'I've Never Heard Of A Singer Leaving A
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:21 amGreat White's Ilous: 'I've Never Heard Of A Singer Leaving A Band And Taking The Name With Him'
Terry Ilous: "I brought more of an edge to Great White and they definitely brought something new for me. It’s a breath of fresh air for both".
http://www.therocktologist.com/terry-il ... rview.html
by Daniel Pavlica
Terry Ilous is perhaps best remembered for fronting late 80s hard rock act XYZ. He’s a martial arts teacher, who in his spare time does voices for movies, commercials and cartoons. Right now his mind is focused on fronting Great White, whose excellent new album “Elation” (review here) is now out on Frontiers Records.
There has been a lot of turmoil lately around the right to use Great White name. How does that affect the guys in the band?
Terry: Well, Daniel, I have to tell you that everyone is a bit annoyed and upset… I don’t want to get info controversy, all I want to say is that the history of the band is very simple. The history speaks for itself. Mark Kendall started the band in 1978 with a different singer, a different drummer and a different bass player. Then band was by then called Dante Fox. This line-up toured for about two years, before Jack Russell joined the band. Basically, the band then toured and changed the name, but the point is that the band was started by Mike Kendall back in 1978, at the time, in 1978 Jack Russell wasn’t even around, Jack Russel was in jail. Now, how does he defect me and the band…it’s really annoying to be honest with you. I’m not saying anything bad about Jack whatsoever, but I’m starting to get annoyed. I’ve never heard of a singer leaving a band and taking the name with him, I mean, when Steve Perry left Journey he called himself Steve Perry formerly of Journey, the same goes for Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Ozzy Osbourne or David Coverdale. The bottom line is that when you leave the band, let’s not forget that Jack never got fired, he left the band on his own accord.
So once again, the situation is very annoying to be honest, because it’s affecting our shows, it’s bothering our fans, not to mention that the fact that Jack is saying so many bad things about us is just wrong. You know, I wish Jack only the very, very best, success and health; whatever he want I’m good with that. Still, I don’t thing that saying bad thing about his former band members is right, I think he should be more of a gentleman. It’s like a relationship with your ex-girlfriend or your ex-wife. When it’s over, it’s over, and you have to remember the good times and move on.
Great White is now up against Jack Russell’s Great White. Are you confident in reaching the top spot?
Terry: Absolutely! (laughs)
No problem there, then?
Terry: No problem there! You know, Jack was a great singer, and he did wonderful things with the band. I would never criticize Jack. I’m not that kind of a person. If he can comeback with a great album I would say good for him. All I want for us is to move on and be happy. I just want to be left alone and do my thing, that’s all.
One more question about Jack. He in particular has an army strong pack of devoted fans. How does it feel stepping into his shoes, on stage that is?
Terry: I’d like for him to step into my shoes if he can do it! I’m a lead singer from XYZ and everybody knows that I have lots of chops. Singing my songs is not easy. Anyway, every time that I go onstage it’s always a pleasure for me to sing songs that Jack and Mark have written or co-written… I know that Mark was mostly the writer in the band…it’s always a pleasure to sing this songs. In a certain way Jack will always be with me onstage, because I will be singing things like “Save Your Love” and “Lady Of Red Light”. Every time I sing those songs the fans would be singing thinking about him, and to be honest with you, they should thing about him, because he was the voice in Great White before. So I only have respect for him, even my new fans should respect him as well.
As far as going on stage and filling his shoes…well, jack was a great singer, and I’m also a great singer. It’s not like, o my god I don’t know if I can do it! The truth is that Jack and I are very similar but we are different also. I’m European so I’m very flashy onstage. My influences are Freddie Mercury and people like that, you know, people that put on a great show. So again, Jack and I are very similar, that’s why I am the singer in Great White now, because of the similarities, the blues, the rock, except that I’m a bit heavier that him. I grew up listening to Ronnie James Dio, my heart is into metal but also blues, because I’m very personal.
You have a new album out on May 18th. This is called “Elation”. How happy are you with the results on the record?
Terry: I’m never happy one hundred per cent because I’m the kind of a person that keeps on searching for the ultimate all the time. But that said I am extremely pleased, because we actually went into the studio, recorded and mastered the album, mixed the thing, did the album cover and everything in 31 days. We only had two songs. The process was very interesting because I’ve never done something like that in my life. We were going into the studio in the morning, just looked at each other, had a cup of coffee or tea, and then we asked each other like what do you have. This is how ideas came popping up. I picked up my guitar, and Kendall picked up his guitar, Audie Desbrow and Michael Lardie brought in their ideas. So we basically wrote the songs on the spot and recorded them right away. Usually you write the song, record a demo and then think about it. We never did a demo. So to be perfectly honest with you I was really scared. I was like is this stuff going to be good, and so on. You know I’m an artist, so I have a lot of doubts in my mind. I doubt everyday about my career, about how good I am. I think of what can I do to be better and stronger; I’m that kind of artist. I don’t think that I’m the best singer in the world, I don’t think that I do better than anybody else. Never.
Anyway, the whole process was nerve-racking. Everyday I was going into the studio worrying if the songs are good enough, if I am good enough, is it all good as the old Great White. But also I was thinking is it good as me when I sang with XYZ, what about my fans, what are they going to think, is it what I used to be, am I changing my style and so on. I had a lot of questions everyday and I asked God to help me. Everyday I was praying, thinking please help me to become a better writer and a better singer and hopefully I am going to be able to do what I am supposed to be doing.
I think the song writing on “Elation” is superb. It feels so natural as if you were playing with the guys for years.
Terry: Thank you! I appreciate that comment very much. What we did was we got together like a bunch of friends. There’s nothing better than being in a band like being with you friends… and I think people that will be reading this interview, you know musicians and people like that, will understand. Being in a band is a family, you get together and you have a good time with the guys. And then you write and it all comes naturally.
Your singing certainly added a new sort of quality to the bands traditional sound.
Terry: I’m glad you liked it. (laughs) First I have to tell you that I really appreciate that, very much so because I consider Jack to be a really good singer. He did a great thing with Great White and it’s an honour to hear that I brought something new to the band. I come from rock, I come from blues, but I also come from heavy metal. I my opinion I brought more of an edge to the band and they definitely brought something new for me. It’s a breath of fresh air for both.
So this the turnout we can expect for next couple of years?
Terry: Yes. We have just recorded a live album at the Key Club and maybe a live DVD. We have to see if the footage is good enough, but for sure the live album is really good, Frontiers loves it. We are also going to be working on an acoustic album; this will feature song that fans have not heard in a long time. It’s not going to be an album of covers, but an album of more obscure Great White songs done acoustically, big hits included. It’s going to be fun!
Great news!
Terry: Yeah, you know I like to play acoustic music, I love that. I like that atmosphere.
It’s more intimate.
Terry: There’s nothing better than being close to the fans. In fact, every time we do a show, we get a radio interview in the morning in the city where we’re playing and we usually do an acoustic set. When we play on the road and we do an acoustic concert somewhere, fans come asking questions like how did you come up with that song and so. I love to do that. The fans are so important.
You have a series of shows lined up until November. Any chance of seeing Great White in Europe?
Terry: Are you kidding me? I’m dying to play Europe. I’m from Europe let’s not forget that. I was born in France and I grew up in Spain and most of my friends in Europe are either English or Italian. My heart is in Europe! I love the life style, I love the women, the fans, football…
Who is your favourite, Real or Barcelona?
Terry: Barcelona!! (laughs)
What prompted you to join Great White in the first place?
Terry: Well, Great White and I we have the same agent. So when they were looking for a singer I came into the picture. Let me tell you a funny story how this happened.
I was on vacation in San Diego, California. I was about to go swimming but the guards wouldn’t let me because they have just spotted a great white shark circling the waters. I said to my self oh shit and went back to the swimming pool where I looked at my telephone and there is a text message waiting from Mark Kendall. Now, Mark’s number is entered in my telephone under the name Great White Mark Kendall! So naturally I went like wait a minute, there is a great white shark swimming near the shore and at the same time I get a message from Mark!
Maybe it was Mark who was swimming?
Terry: Yeah, Mark swimming, that’s right!(laughs)
So I picked up the phone and Mark said if I could step in for a couple of shows. I said I’ll do it. And the very next day in Los Angeles I did the first show as a Great White singer. At the end of the show Mark asked if I want to do more show, and I said yes. So, we did more dates and the fans were happy. I ended up doing some 80 shows, playing with KISS, Pat Benatar and Sammy Hagar to crowds of 10.000 and 20.000 people. In the end the band asked me to stay and I stayed. That was it.
How different is fronting Great White in comparison to XYZ?
Terry: Great White is a much bigger band than XYZ. XYZ is my band, this means that if I want to go onstage and change the melody, I can do as I please. When I do Great White songs I have to respect the way they were written. I don’t want to sing the songs in the way that doesn’t fit the band. I’m very careful to make sure that I give the fans the Great White they’re expecting, but, of course, I do give them my own sound. I don’t want to sound like a copy cat. Copying Jack just wouldn’t make sense.
Do you see yourself making another XYZ sometime in the future?
Terry: I don’t know. Right now I’m concentrating on Great White. At this time what I’m doing with the band is more important. It’s a big commitment being in Great White and hopefully we have a long future ahead of us. But I definitely see myself doing another solo album, that’s for sure.
Do you get the same enjoyment out of music these days as you did in the 80s or has this changed for you in someway?
Terry: That’s a good question. I think I get even more enjoyment, because I’m older now. I am very blessed and fortunate to be able to go onstage after all these years and make the fans happy. When I was younger, at like 20, it was all natural to be charged up going I worked hard for this, I deserve it and stuff like that. But now that I’m older and more experienced I’m thankful for being able to do the things I love. I’m very respectful to the people that support me. I definitely get more fun now.
Now, here’s another thing. I have a similar thing with Tom Jones. Every since I started my career women have been throwing their underwear at me. I don’t know why.
That’s a good thing.
Terry: It’s a good thing, yeah. And most of them are clean. So, women throw their underwear at me and bras and so on. The only difference between the past and present is that now my fans are bigger and their rears are bigger too. I get the granny underwear now I don’t get the G-String anymore. (laughs)
You got involved with BlancaWhite debut album. Tell us more about that.
Terry: This is an interesting concept. They called me saying they have a concept album based on lyrics not necessarily the music. It’s more of a story. I read the lyrics and I was impressed, so I called some of my friends like Paul Shortino, Jeff Paris and Lorraine Lewis. This project means a lot to me, because it’s not a regular venture. In this project I had to become an actor, meaning when I sang the song I had to act, just like you do at Broadway. When I think of Blanca I think of that. It is more of a Broadway thing that anything else, I don’t see it doing rock n’ roll shows, concert after concert. I don’t think people would understand. However, it would be wonderful doing it with actors that sing because the lyrics are very good.
Does music occupy most of your time these days?
Terry: Music occupies a lot of my time, but I do other things besides music. I do voice overs. I do voices for movies, commercials and cartoons. I do anything that is connected to my voice, this is what I enjoy. Of course, I also teach martial arts and I’m also a dad. I have a six years old kid and my big thing is to be a good daddy.
Thank you for your time Terry.
Terry: Thank you, it was a pleasure
Terry Ilous: "I brought more of an edge to Great White and they definitely brought something new for me. It’s a breath of fresh air for both".
http://www.therocktologist.com/terry-il ... rview.html
by Daniel Pavlica
Terry Ilous is perhaps best remembered for fronting late 80s hard rock act XYZ. He’s a martial arts teacher, who in his spare time does voices for movies, commercials and cartoons. Right now his mind is focused on fronting Great White, whose excellent new album “Elation” (review here) is now out on Frontiers Records.
There has been a lot of turmoil lately around the right to use Great White name. How does that affect the guys in the band?
Terry: Well, Daniel, I have to tell you that everyone is a bit annoyed and upset… I don’t want to get info controversy, all I want to say is that the history of the band is very simple. The history speaks for itself. Mark Kendall started the band in 1978 with a different singer, a different drummer and a different bass player. Then band was by then called Dante Fox. This line-up toured for about two years, before Jack Russell joined the band. Basically, the band then toured and changed the name, but the point is that the band was started by Mike Kendall back in 1978, at the time, in 1978 Jack Russell wasn’t even around, Jack Russel was in jail. Now, how does he defect me and the band…it’s really annoying to be honest with you. I’m not saying anything bad about Jack whatsoever, but I’m starting to get annoyed. I’ve never heard of a singer leaving a band and taking the name with him, I mean, when Steve Perry left Journey he called himself Steve Perry formerly of Journey, the same goes for Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Ozzy Osbourne or David Coverdale. The bottom line is that when you leave the band, let’s not forget that Jack never got fired, he left the band on his own accord.
So once again, the situation is very annoying to be honest, because it’s affecting our shows, it’s bothering our fans, not to mention that the fact that Jack is saying so many bad things about us is just wrong. You know, I wish Jack only the very, very best, success and health; whatever he want I’m good with that. Still, I don’t thing that saying bad thing about his former band members is right, I think he should be more of a gentleman. It’s like a relationship with your ex-girlfriend or your ex-wife. When it’s over, it’s over, and you have to remember the good times and move on.
Great White is now up against Jack Russell’s Great White. Are you confident in reaching the top spot?
Terry: Absolutely! (laughs)
No problem there, then?
Terry: No problem there! You know, Jack was a great singer, and he did wonderful things with the band. I would never criticize Jack. I’m not that kind of a person. If he can comeback with a great album I would say good for him. All I want for us is to move on and be happy. I just want to be left alone and do my thing, that’s all.
One more question about Jack. He in particular has an army strong pack of devoted fans. How does it feel stepping into his shoes, on stage that is?
Terry: I’d like for him to step into my shoes if he can do it! I’m a lead singer from XYZ and everybody knows that I have lots of chops. Singing my songs is not easy. Anyway, every time that I go onstage it’s always a pleasure for me to sing songs that Jack and Mark have written or co-written… I know that Mark was mostly the writer in the band…it’s always a pleasure to sing this songs. In a certain way Jack will always be with me onstage, because I will be singing things like “Save Your Love” and “Lady Of Red Light”. Every time I sing those songs the fans would be singing thinking about him, and to be honest with you, they should thing about him, because he was the voice in Great White before. So I only have respect for him, even my new fans should respect him as well.
As far as going on stage and filling his shoes…well, jack was a great singer, and I’m also a great singer. It’s not like, o my god I don’t know if I can do it! The truth is that Jack and I are very similar but we are different also. I’m European so I’m very flashy onstage. My influences are Freddie Mercury and people like that, you know, people that put on a great show. So again, Jack and I are very similar, that’s why I am the singer in Great White now, because of the similarities, the blues, the rock, except that I’m a bit heavier that him. I grew up listening to Ronnie James Dio, my heart is into metal but also blues, because I’m very personal.
You have a new album out on May 18th. This is called “Elation”. How happy are you with the results on the record?
Terry: I’m never happy one hundred per cent because I’m the kind of a person that keeps on searching for the ultimate all the time. But that said I am extremely pleased, because we actually went into the studio, recorded and mastered the album, mixed the thing, did the album cover and everything in 31 days. We only had two songs. The process was very interesting because I’ve never done something like that in my life. We were going into the studio in the morning, just looked at each other, had a cup of coffee or tea, and then we asked each other like what do you have. This is how ideas came popping up. I picked up my guitar, and Kendall picked up his guitar, Audie Desbrow and Michael Lardie brought in their ideas. So we basically wrote the songs on the spot and recorded them right away. Usually you write the song, record a demo and then think about it. We never did a demo. So to be perfectly honest with you I was really scared. I was like is this stuff going to be good, and so on. You know I’m an artist, so I have a lot of doubts in my mind. I doubt everyday about my career, about how good I am. I think of what can I do to be better and stronger; I’m that kind of artist. I don’t think that I’m the best singer in the world, I don’t think that I do better than anybody else. Never.
Anyway, the whole process was nerve-racking. Everyday I was going into the studio worrying if the songs are good enough, if I am good enough, is it all good as the old Great White. But also I was thinking is it good as me when I sang with XYZ, what about my fans, what are they going to think, is it what I used to be, am I changing my style and so on. I had a lot of questions everyday and I asked God to help me. Everyday I was praying, thinking please help me to become a better writer and a better singer and hopefully I am going to be able to do what I am supposed to be doing.
I think the song writing on “Elation” is superb. It feels so natural as if you were playing with the guys for years.
Terry: Thank you! I appreciate that comment very much. What we did was we got together like a bunch of friends. There’s nothing better than being in a band like being with you friends… and I think people that will be reading this interview, you know musicians and people like that, will understand. Being in a band is a family, you get together and you have a good time with the guys. And then you write and it all comes naturally.
Your singing certainly added a new sort of quality to the bands traditional sound.
Terry: I’m glad you liked it. (laughs) First I have to tell you that I really appreciate that, very much so because I consider Jack to be a really good singer. He did a great thing with Great White and it’s an honour to hear that I brought something new to the band. I come from rock, I come from blues, but I also come from heavy metal. I my opinion I brought more of an edge to the band and they definitely brought something new for me. It’s a breath of fresh air for both.
So this the turnout we can expect for next couple of years?
Terry: Yes. We have just recorded a live album at the Key Club and maybe a live DVD. We have to see if the footage is good enough, but for sure the live album is really good, Frontiers loves it. We are also going to be working on an acoustic album; this will feature song that fans have not heard in a long time. It’s not going to be an album of covers, but an album of more obscure Great White songs done acoustically, big hits included. It’s going to be fun!
Great news!
Terry: Yeah, you know I like to play acoustic music, I love that. I like that atmosphere.
It’s more intimate.
Terry: There’s nothing better than being close to the fans. In fact, every time we do a show, we get a radio interview in the morning in the city where we’re playing and we usually do an acoustic set. When we play on the road and we do an acoustic concert somewhere, fans come asking questions like how did you come up with that song and so. I love to do that. The fans are so important.
You have a series of shows lined up until November. Any chance of seeing Great White in Europe?
Terry: Are you kidding me? I’m dying to play Europe. I’m from Europe let’s not forget that. I was born in France and I grew up in Spain and most of my friends in Europe are either English or Italian. My heart is in Europe! I love the life style, I love the women, the fans, football…
Who is your favourite, Real or Barcelona?
Terry: Barcelona!! (laughs)
What prompted you to join Great White in the first place?
Terry: Well, Great White and I we have the same agent. So when they were looking for a singer I came into the picture. Let me tell you a funny story how this happened.
I was on vacation in San Diego, California. I was about to go swimming but the guards wouldn’t let me because they have just spotted a great white shark circling the waters. I said to my self oh shit and went back to the swimming pool where I looked at my telephone and there is a text message waiting from Mark Kendall. Now, Mark’s number is entered in my telephone under the name Great White Mark Kendall! So naturally I went like wait a minute, there is a great white shark swimming near the shore and at the same time I get a message from Mark!
Maybe it was Mark who was swimming?
Terry: Yeah, Mark swimming, that’s right!(laughs)
So I picked up the phone and Mark said if I could step in for a couple of shows. I said I’ll do it. And the very next day in Los Angeles I did the first show as a Great White singer. At the end of the show Mark asked if I want to do more show, and I said yes. So, we did more dates and the fans were happy. I ended up doing some 80 shows, playing with KISS, Pat Benatar and Sammy Hagar to crowds of 10.000 and 20.000 people. In the end the band asked me to stay and I stayed. That was it.
How different is fronting Great White in comparison to XYZ?
Terry: Great White is a much bigger band than XYZ. XYZ is my band, this means that if I want to go onstage and change the melody, I can do as I please. When I do Great White songs I have to respect the way they were written. I don’t want to sing the songs in the way that doesn’t fit the band. I’m very careful to make sure that I give the fans the Great White they’re expecting, but, of course, I do give them my own sound. I don’t want to sound like a copy cat. Copying Jack just wouldn’t make sense.
Do you see yourself making another XYZ sometime in the future?
Terry: I don’t know. Right now I’m concentrating on Great White. At this time what I’m doing with the band is more important. It’s a big commitment being in Great White and hopefully we have a long future ahead of us. But I definitely see myself doing another solo album, that’s for sure.
Do you get the same enjoyment out of music these days as you did in the 80s or has this changed for you in someway?
Terry: That’s a good question. I think I get even more enjoyment, because I’m older now. I am very blessed and fortunate to be able to go onstage after all these years and make the fans happy. When I was younger, at like 20, it was all natural to be charged up going I worked hard for this, I deserve it and stuff like that. But now that I’m older and more experienced I’m thankful for being able to do the things I love. I’m very respectful to the people that support me. I definitely get more fun now.
Now, here’s another thing. I have a similar thing with Tom Jones. Every since I started my career women have been throwing their underwear at me. I don’t know why.
That’s a good thing.
Terry: It’s a good thing, yeah. And most of them are clean. So, women throw their underwear at me and bras and so on. The only difference between the past and present is that now my fans are bigger and their rears are bigger too. I get the granny underwear now I don’t get the G-String anymore. (laughs)
You got involved with BlancaWhite debut album. Tell us more about that.
Terry: This is an interesting concept. They called me saying they have a concept album based on lyrics not necessarily the music. It’s more of a story. I read the lyrics and I was impressed, so I called some of my friends like Paul Shortino, Jeff Paris and Lorraine Lewis. This project means a lot to me, because it’s not a regular venture. In this project I had to become an actor, meaning when I sang the song I had to act, just like you do at Broadway. When I think of Blanca I think of that. It is more of a Broadway thing that anything else, I don’t see it doing rock n’ roll shows, concert after concert. I don’t think people would understand. However, it would be wonderful doing it with actors that sing because the lyrics are very good.
Does music occupy most of your time these days?
Terry: Music occupies a lot of my time, but I do other things besides music. I do voice overs. I do voices for movies, commercials and cartoons. I do anything that is connected to my voice, this is what I enjoy. Of course, I also teach martial arts and I’m also a dad. I have a six years old kid and my big thing is to be a good daddy.
Thank you for your time Terry.
Terry: Thank you, it was a pleasure
