WHITE DIAMOND
1. Would you like to talk us about the story of White Diamond ?
Of course I would!
2. How was the situation back in the late 80’s for the hair metal
bands ?
The 80’s were a glorious breeding ground for air guitarists and closet metal heads! All those bands playing on the radio and touring the US, man it was great! There just got to be too many of them. Just like there are too many boy bands and Britneys now and too many grunge acts 8 years ago.
3. Why do you think that Hair metal lasted only for a few years and then everyone found out Grunge ?
That’s the way it goes. The industry shifts style every 3 to 5 years. It just happens. From Elvis to Beatles to hippies, to drug rock, southern rock, hard rock, disco, british, techno, hard rock, hair metal, grunge, dance, teen boy bands, hispanic trends, it all rotates every few years. I am not saying rock will come back. I will say that I like the Beatles, Elvis, Bee Gees, Poison and STP. I probably will forever, on the charts or not.
4. I understand that Label was the main factor that forced you to quit the music scene for a few years and other to reach the top .So please tell me which way the Label uses to help or “kill”artists and their music ?
The labels help by getting your name and face out there. Getting you to the stations, stores, and on tours. The labels kill you by yanking the rug out from under you once the momentum is going and the trend changes. Some bands make it and they are undeniably better than not other other bands that fail, but oddly enough they are also even better than THEY ever thought they’d be because the labels also help to recreate their sound via outside players, writers, producers. All the label needs are the puppets. The new bands. They eventually all come and go from the charts, but the people behind the scenes, the ones that do not want in the limelight, they last a long time. Desmond Child has been writing since his hit I Was Made For Loving You with KISS in 79, then with Bon Jovi in 85, Aerosmith in 88, Cher, etc, and the list goes on and is endless. He even wrote for Ricky Martin just recently. Yet he’s never had his 5 years up front. He preferred not to be a puppet but a string puller.
5. I can see that behind the scenes and the lights , always exists a sad story about musicians addicted to drugs , self –destructive characters ,etc. White Diamond were also the victims of this situation ?
Its the same old story really. Most celebrities were geeks growing up. Most pretty women werent so pretty when they were younger. Rock stars are the same way and so are groupies. They have that common bond I suppose. Mix them together and BOOM. The combustion leads to the addictions of sex drugs alcohol and music. The spectacle of living up to the reputation of those before you is both pressuring and mind boggling. Youre practicly told to live up to legend or youre not making it successfully. Fortunately for us, our issues were mild. Story worthy, but no one died or wrecked a car. Well, I did actually wreck a few cars.
6. Do you know similar stories of other 80’s hard rock bands / artists that you’ d like to share with us ?
Paul Lancia from Lazy Jane had a great band called Paradice that got screwed by the labels. He had another situation with his Lancia band thats worth a mention. All sorts of things happened behind the scenes. Also, there’s Stevie Rachelle from TUFF who has a great story. He came from no where, got in TUFF, then one thing led to another and he ended up BEING the band. There are 100’s of similar situations. 5 minutes of fame on MTV or on a tour and then you vanish. What makes my story different is that it’s getting airplay, has 4 cd’s coming out because of it, and then there’s the documentary and movie. Other than that, I was in, I was out and into another field as fast as it happened. I will never say we are or were the best. But I will say we existed and I am going to tell the story hoping word will spread.
7. Now tell us about the movie that you prepare ?
The film picks up with the initial inception of the band and ends where the band walked away. Although members changed throughout the real band, the story focuses on 5 characters throughout so the viewer isnt confused. All the decadence of the Sunset Strip in 1991 is explored and its taken some time to get to this point. Due to the Sept 11th attacks, filming had to be moved from LA to Vegas. Preparation isnt so much the issue as everything else surrounding the preparation is..
8. Don’t you afraid that people will accuse you of making profit of your experience ?
Not really. Musicians make a profit off their experiences all the time. I sincerely hope I start a trend of people not afraid to step forward and do something for themselves. I am tired of people whining about how they got screwed but in reality they just laid there and took it. Get up and fight for yourself. Let’s tell the people who look at bands like circus animals what happened to those who almost made or and those who did and got dropped so others can learn something from it.
9. Are you going to reform the band and release new music?
Yes. We are doing an album just before we begin filming. It will feature Jay von Mohr and Neal Grusky on guitars, I will handle vocals and then Bjorn Englen on bass and Dave Jordan on drums will be the rhythm section.
10. Which is your advice for newcomers in the music scene ?
I am not asking people to become new White Diamond fans nor that they like the music. Just listen to the story and see if you can learn anything.
11. What is doing Don Lemmon today in his life?
Everything behind the scenes is a bit overwhelming, trying to keep everything under wraps and secretive has been tough but I am excited about the way it’s going. Most people know I am a writer and have a best selling book at my website. Those who do not can see more at www.donlemmon.com and www.whitediamond-demos.com
