XYZ was originally created in Lyon (France) where Patt Fontaine and Terry Ilous were born and grew up. Then they moved to Los Angeles, and began a musical career in 1986. XYZ started off as the unofficial house band of "The Whiskey", a nightclub in Los Angeles. The original members were Terry Ilous (vocals), Bobby Pieper (guitars), Patt Fontaine (bass) and Joey Pafumi (drums). A tour of the US with Enuff Z'Nuff and Alice Cooper followed the success of their 1989 Enigma released debut album, and they were signed by major label Capitol for their second.