The Kids (49)

An AOR/Rock band formed in 1978 by 16 year old future Hollywood Vampires guitarist Bruce Witkin, the band also featured future MSG and Talas guitarist Mitch Brownstein / Mitch Perry, Bill "Beano" Hanti on drums and guitarist / vocalist George Ardizzola. Influences include Boston, Foreigner, Styx, Bad Company and Peter Frampton. Later incarnations of the band included guitarists (in rough chronological order) Marco Cocchiaro (who replaced Mitch), Joey Malone (who remained with the band for the duration), Cosmo, and George Mazzola, and keyboard player Larry Dermer. The Kids released the songs I Wanna Be Me b/w Time To Explain on Aria records as a 7 inch single. Both songs were written by Bruce Witkin. I Don't Care and Time Is The Key were performed live on 10/17/81 and released on the K-102 Homegrown Rock Festival album. In a radio interview with Steve Jones on Jonesy's Jukebox on June 27, 2016, Johnny Depp divulged that after auditioning for The Kids, he became their lighting guy "for about a week." As he explained, this gave him a chance to learn the songs, after which he joined as lead guitarist in late 1980. The lineup at this time was the most stable and successful incarnation of the band: Bruce Witkin - bass and lead vocals Johnny Depp - lead guitar Joey Malone - guitar and background vocals Bill "Beano" Hanti - drums On Dec. 1, 1983, the band moved to LA on the advice of promoter Don Ray, and had some modest success under the name Six Gun Method. But competition was fierce, and between Johnny's first acting role in A Nightmare On Elm Street, and other band members leaving LA, the band split up by July of 1984. In May of 1985, possibly while Johnny was filming Private Resort in Florida, The Kids got together for a reunion show at the Button South in Hallandale. Jimmy Gambone replaced Joey Malone on guitar for the show. Also in 1985, the song Time To Explain was included in the movie The Legend Of Billie Jean.