Hair Band History (August 28th)

August 28, 1985: Mötley Crüe released the template for hair band power ballads "Home Sweet Home" as the second single from the album "Theatre Of Pain". The music video was a huge hit on MTV, but radio was lukewarm until the remix in 1991. Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - August 23, 1985.

August 28, 1990: Don Dokken released his second solo studio album "Up From The Ashes" in North America (one day earlier in the UK) featuring singles "Mirror Mirror" and "Stay". Music videos for both songs were shown on MTV in the US. Former Europe guitarist John Norum played on the album.

Don Dokken "Up From The Ashes" release date source: [US] Billboard Magazine - August 4, 1990; [UK] Kerrang! - August 25, 1990.

Happy Birthday to Kix frontman Steve Whiteman (August 28, 1956).

August 1986: Kerrang! reported that Madam X were back in business with new "opera-trained" singer Sebastian Bach. Drummer Roxy Petrucci had just left the band to join Vixen.

Late August 1989: The music video for "New Thing", the first single from Enuff Z'Nuff's debut album, was MTV's No. 3 Most Requested and the channel's "Most Played New Artist". The song was also getting airplay at American rock and Top 40 radio. HITS US radio trade publication ad - August 28, 1989

August 28, 1987: Featuring the Mötley Crüe inspired lead single "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", the new album from Aerosmith, "Permanent Vacation", was in stores and the pop metal sound fit in nicely with the other hair bands.

August 28, 1990: Living Colour released their second studio album "Time's Up" in North America featuring singles "Type" and "Love Rears It's Ugly Head". The LP went gold in the US, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. The band won a Grammy Award for "Best Hard Rock Performance". Release date source: Billboard Magazine - August 4, 1990.

August 28, 1980: Eddie Van Halen met his future wife Valerie Bertinelli for the first time at a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana. Valerie's brother had dragged her to the show, even though she didn’t want to go. They would marry eight months later.

August 28, 1982: "The fastest rising band in the West!", Mötley Crüe had a major label deal with Elektra and a remixed version of their debut album "Too Fast For Love" was in stores for the entire world to experience "Below the belt rock'n'roll." Billboard Magazine ad

Formed in New York in 1983, "Herrenvolk" was the first band of vocalist Sebastian Bach, who was 14 at the time. A year later, they changed their name to "Kid Wikkid" after a newspaper article with the headline "Peterborough Kid Gets Wikkid" and moved to Toronto, where they released one tape with five tracks that included single "Take A Look At Me", which also appeared on the "Maple Metal" compilation (Attic Records 1985). Kid Wikkid disbanded in '85 and Bach joined Madam X.