My name is Michelle and I have had some exciting years while in the Music Industry. Starting as an intern at MCA Records as an A&R Assistant for the Hard Rock Department and working my way up to A&R/PR Manager at Polaris Records. Scouting bands and meeting all types of talent over the years has been some of the most rewarding experiences of my career and when I finally had the opportunity to experience the raw energy and talent that was the Wild Boyz, I knew there was a reason why I had entered into the music industry.   However, who better to describe the experience than one of the Wild Boyz himself.......

In the numerous hours thinking about what I wanted to say, what I felt I needed to say and what I was hoping would be informative, humorous and well received, I finally came to the conclusion that I couldn’t accomplish all that in a short space while remaining honest and politically correct (is this term still in use today or is it…whack?), besides who is going to read a dissertation about a band that only made a minor splash in the music world anyway? So, I’ll attempt to tell it like it is, (was) although even this seems to be controversial today and I would also like to reflect back on a time that was awesome for some, painful for others, but for the most part…fun. I mean we were young, right? I’ll try not to offend anyone, but if you are offended than you know what you can do! Leave!

You know it’s strange, as a kid you think you’re going to live forever, life is so big, mysterious and unexplored and up until you hit the age of about thirty you believe it…. Dorian Gray wanted to live forever, to be beautiful, virile and ageless, so much so that he was willing to give up his soul, his pure essence just to remain forever young…just in case you didn’t know, Dorian Gray is a literary character from the Classic ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde. How ironic that we became Wilde Boyz, I mean Wild Boyz.

Dorian Gray was also the original moniker for Wild Boyz during our heyday on the "Sunset Strip", and not only was Dorian Gray our namesake, but I also think deep-down we hoped "it" was going to last forever…it didn’t! Nothing does and that’s life! Some speculate (today) that we weren’t good enough. Well I’ll go out on a limb and say that’s just not the case. I’m not making any excuses for our lack of super stardom, all I really need to say is "GRUNGE". Sure you could say we were less than original, that our tunes were mediocre at best, our image was contrived and on and on and on…but the truth is except for…oh… Jon Bon Jovi nobody became a "Superstar" especially if they were signed in the final stages of the "Image Rock" era, so you can say what you want, in the end it’s just opinion and we all have our ‘opinions’! One thing is for sure, if you saw us ‘live’ you knew how good we were and for now I’ll leave it at that! By the way where is grunge?

How big is big? That definition I’ll leave to the individual to determine, but let me say this… "The Bigger You Are The Harder You Fall". Luckily my fall was only minute, I hurt, I cried, I healed, I moved on! Playing in front of over 1,000 screaming people a night felt pretty big to me, MTV playing your video in the U.S. and abroad felt pretty big to me, radio station tag and interview sessions felt pretty big, newspaper and magazine interviews felt pretty big, in-store gigs (record store signings and playing) felt pretty big, devoted groupies (I mean this with respect) felt pretty big, selling well in Europe and Japan was nothing to snooze at and for all it’s worth having ‘name’ people design your stage gear, take your photos, book your gigs, work your ‘publicity’, do your hair, hang out with you…not to mention unconditional love and respect from your family and friends. It all felt ‘pretty big’ to me!

Personally, I think most "Rock Stars" take all this for granted, but to me it all rocked! "BIG" is really only perspective/perception anyway, I mean I feel ‘Huge’ when my son looks at me and grunts UH, OH, YUH, which when translated means, I LOVE YOU! (He is less than 2 years old) Now that really rocks!!!

I would like to take a little space and talk about the members, that is, if you don’t mind.Willie D: The final member of the band and perhaps the most naturally gifted… What a voice, what range, pitch, charisma, stage presence…he had it all. I was always in awe at rehearsal listening to the ‘flawless’ performance of this guy. When we first looked at him for the band I was thinking he’s not the one, but that lasted about 15 seconds, then I was hooked. Southern Boy, good guy, smart as they come and genuine as you could get and so talented. I wish he was on the charts today. I really miss his voice! He truly has "it"! Thanks Willie. Matt Steavanz: Outside of Joey and myself, Matt was the third official member of the band. I went to High School with Matt, thought he was the ‘shizzle’. He is so underrated it makes me sick, his feel, his sound, instinct. He is so creative, funnier than crap and that personality…he is so blessed! I, unbeknownst to Matt borrowed some faith from him when I was running low. His love for God, family and his fellow man so deeply influenced me, I learned so much from him. Thanks Matt and thank you for the ‘faith’.Valentino: Although he has the coolest name (it’s real), Valentino is without a doubt a true ‘virtuoso’, uncanny skills, style, sense of melody you name it he could play it, lick for lick, note for note…amazing! If guitar players were ‘Rap Stars’ his name would be Eminem. I love him to death, he’s my little brother and I wouldn’t change a thing about him, so hilariously ‘whacky’, he’s 35 going on 13 and that’s a good thing! Thanks Val. Joey Wylde: Joe…my life-long best friend, the reason I got into music…and I mean literally! He was the coolest thing since ‘David Lee Roth’, good-looking, smart, athletic, that ‘hair’ (I was so jealous) and what I would later discover, one of my all-time major songwriting influences. Yeah…my own band-member and best friend! When it comes to music, "He gave me life". He taught me about melody (I think I was verging on being tone-deaf) and we discovered our mutual love for ‘chicks’ together. He is an amazingly talented musician, plays everything…a better guitar player than half the guys on MTV and a phenom with composition and arrangement. I miss him and his ‘gifts’. Thanks Joe.

Just so you know who is writing this… I am K. Lee Lauren, the drummer, the guy that sat in the back and got to see these guy’s work their magic. I am thankful for the blessings I received while in the band and I am grateful for the memories I carry with me. And for those that might give a damn, I am more complex than most know, more emotional and more importantly I am just a ‘kid’ that got to touch the stars…if only for a little while! I thank all of you that venture on to this site… Please enjoy the past…the present…and the future.

K. Lee Lauren