Trixter

Although formed in 1983 in Paramus, NJ, Trixter's big break didn't come until 1989, when the band decamped to Hollywood (the unofficial headquarters of hair metal) to record for MCA Records. The following year saw Trixter touring the country with Stryper and Don Dokken in support of their self-titled debut, which received a significant boost from MTV. Vocalist Peter Loran, guitarist Steve Brown, bassist P.J. Farley, and drummer Mark "Gus" Scott became frequent faces on the music network, where the videos for "Give It to Me Good," "One in a Million," and "Surrender" all fell into regular rotation. Trixter went gold in early 1991, having sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., and the bandmates increased their popularity by joining the "Blood, Sweat, and Beers Tour" (which also featured Warrant and Firehouse) and contributing to the soundtrack for If Looks Could Kill. The band's heyday proved to be short-lived, however. The follow-up album Hear! failed to maintain Trixter's popularity, and an EP of cover songs -- 1994's Undercovers -- couldn't compete with the newfound popularity of grunge music. Following Scott's departure, the band broke up in 1995.