Highly melodic Rockers ENUFF Z'NUFF has, it has been argued, struggled to attain the status to which their talents belong despite favourable press, including 'Rolling Stone' magazine naming ENUFF Z'NUFF as best new band in 1991, and a string of commendable albums. For their first trio of albums the group, based in Chicago suburb Blue Island, Illinois and centred upon frontman Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Znuff, featured guitarist former LE MANS Derek Frigo, son of legendary Chicago violin virtuoso Johnny Frigo.

The group had been formulated during 1984, issuing the demo 'Hollywood Squares' billed as ENOUGH Z'NUFF. Previously, Donnie Vie had been operational with an act entitled WE'RE STAYING whilst Chip Z'nuff had forsaken a promising start in minor league baseball in order to pursue Rock n' Roll. The first formation also counted guitarist Gino Martino and drummer B.W. Boeski.

Following the 'Hollywood Squares' sessions the revised title spelling of ENUFF Z'NUFF was adopted, but both Gino Martino and B.W. Boeski left. Replacements were found in Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Foxx. The band made their first mark on the national music scene with the inclusion of the song 'Fingers On It' in the 1986 John McNaughton directed movie 'Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer'.

Courted by a slew of major labels, including Capitol, Chrysalis, and Warner Bros., the band signed with Derek Shulman at Atco Records. The debut, self-titled album, co-produced by the band and Ron Fajerstein, arrived in August 1989, hitting number 74 on the US charts. Promotional videos for singles 'New Thing', number 67 on the charts, and 'Fly High Michelle' received steady rotation on MTV. Other valuable exposure had 'Hot Little Summer Girl' on the soundtrack to major television series 'Beverly Hills 90210' and "I Could Never Be Without You" featured on 'Northern Exposure'. The band toured throughout America in 1990, with British outfit SHY opening on a number of dates. Although 'Enuff Z'Nuff' had sold well the band reacted against the image portrayed at the time, which they believed had wrongly placed them in the 'Party Rock' genre. As such, they considerably toned down clothes, make up and hair for their next effort.

Second album 'Strength', with production credits going out to Paul Lani, Donnie Vie and Chip Z'Nuff, was delivered in March 1991. For this record the band recorded many more songs than were required, many of these surfacing on later releases. Rumours suggested that both CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander and even PAUL McCARTNEY were due to sing on the song 'Time To Let You Go', although neither eventually contributed.

ENUFF Z'NUFF had been booked to open for MR. BIG on their April 1991 British tour up front of the release, but in the event the group pulled out preferring to come over to headline themselves later in the year. Both 'Mother's Eyes' and 'Baby Loves You' received solid radio play in America. Notably, ENUFF Z'NUFF performed 'Baby Loves You' on 'Late Night With David Letterman' with show musicians Paul Shaffer and Anton Fig on drums whilst Vikki Foxx mimed air guitar. Further touring included gigs partnered with NELSON. Much was made of a Rolling Stone award for "Hot New Band Of The Year", but overall US sales were down on the predecessor, the album only reaching number 143 on the charts. Nevertheless, 'Strength' made an impression on the UK charts at number 56.

With ENUFF Z'NUFF breaking away from Atco to join the Arista label, they set to work on a third album 'Animals With Human Intelligence'. In later years the group revealed that during this period the musicians resorted to heavy drug abuse upon discovering their efforts had not generated the expected financial return. Much of the material had been recorded with Ritchie Zito acting as producer but the band was solely credited to Donnie Vie, Chip Z'Nuff and Derek Frigo with Vikki Foxx listed as session drummer. Kim Bullard aided on keyboards and an unaccredited Slash from GUNS N' ROSES donated a sitar solo to the track 'Takin' A Ride'. Unfortunately, 'Animals With Human Intelligence' failed to chart despite a round of European tour supports to POISON and another 'Late Night With David Letterman' performance. Arista put pressure on Donnie Vie to break away from the band and head in a solo Pop direction, ultimately leading to ENUFF Z'NUFF and the label parting ways.

Foxx then jumped ship to join the VINCE NEIL band. The split was hardly amicable, Donnie Vie being quoted in 'Metal Edge' magazine with some particularly amusing yet acid tongued comments regarding the drummer's departure. His position was taken by erstwhile DEEP FREEZE and WAR AND PEACE drummer Ricky Parent. Derek Frigo quit the band in 1992. According to Chip, Shrapnel Records boss Mike Varney promptly sent ENUFF Z'NUFF over 200 tapes of guitarists he knew who were eager to get the gig, including BLUES SARACENO, MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS and RICHIE KOTZEN. Ultimately, the band went back to Gino Martino, the band's original guitar player, who would part company with ENUFF Z'NUFF for a second time in 1995 due to family commitments.

The May 1994 '1985' album, now seeing B.W. Boeski on drums, included a cover of Smokey Robinson's 'Tears Of A Clown' and liner notes from celebrated American media personality Howard Stern. The album's packaging was the centre of a law suit from MADONNA after the band used a picture of her, albeit with a black strip hiding her face, on a spoof Penthouse cover forming part of the album artwork. '1985' was released by New York imprint Big Deal in the USA. The record hosted a hidden track, 'You Got A Hold Of Me', which was strangely issued as the lead single. In Japan, where '1985' was released through Far East Metal Syndicate, an extra track came in the form of THE BEATLES 'Hide Your Love Away', performed live on the Lonn Friend Pirate Radio Show.

The group worked on a proposed double album for the Japanese market but these plans were curtailed and the songs emerged as two separate recordings, 'Tweaked' credited to ENUFF Z' NUFF, and 'Brothers' credited to CHIP & DONNIE. The original artwork for the September 1995 'Tweaked' album also caused a stir when Music For Nations refused to release the album with the same cover as the Japanese version. The cover depicted an Irish Republican funeral procession, apparently taken from a copy of Time magazine by Chip Z' Nuff's father. 'Tweaked' had been cut over five Chicago studios, Donn's, Mindscape, Star Trax, Groove Master and Chicago Recording Company. Besides the core band contributers included drummer Vik Cerny, on the track 'Style', guitarists Zak Mischer, Phil Miller and Derek Frigo with Bruce Breckenfeld on Hammond organ.

In 1995 launched his custom label Stoney Records, for which the premier release, JUNEBUG's 'Ticket To Hell', was produced and co-composed by the ENUFF Z'NUFF man. A variety of artists also recorded Vie and Z'Nuff songs, including the JAMES YOUNG GROUP, THE WILDHEARTS, PAUL GILBERT and NELSON.

Accepting an invitation to join THE WILD BUNCH, Chip Z'Nuff formed up a high profile collective comprising MATERIAL ISSUE's Jim Ellison, Pat Dinizio of SMITHEREENS, GILBY CLARKE of GUNS N' ROSES, Nash Kato from URGE OVERKILL, Mars Williams of PSYCHEDELIC FURS, Clem Burke from BLONDIE and Mike Zelenko of MATERIAL ISSUE. US gigs were embarked upon but unfortunately, the tour was cut short due to the untimely death of Jim Ellison.

The 'Peach Fuzz' album, released in February 1996, consisted of demo and previously unreleased material from the 'Animals With Human Intelligence' sessions. Vikki Foxx appeared on 'Let It Go', ex-LOVE/HATE guitarist DARREN HOUSEHOLDER played on 'Vacant Love', Micki Fabus on 'Message Of Love', Mark Bonjovi on 'Happy Holiday', whilst Derek Frigo's guitar work was located on four of the album's tracks. The Japanese release, with different cover art, featured the bonus track 'Video Man'.

ENUFF Z'NUFF, having drafted former PINCH guitarist John Monaco, toured in Britain during December 1996 in anticipation of Music For Nations releasing the aptly titled 'Seven' in February 1997, in actuality the CHIP & DONNIE 'Brothers' album with the addition of two extra tracks. These songs had been cut at four locations, the Chicago Recording Company, Donn's, Minscape Studios and Groove Master Studio. Additional musicians included drummer Greg Errico, violinist Johnny Frigo, Bruce Breckenfeld on Hammond organ and Johnny Fang and Eugene Strentz contributing lead guitar.

Epic Records asked ENUFF Z' NUFF to participate in a CHEAP TRICK tribute album to be called 'Cheap Shots'. The band cut their rendition of 'Everything Works If You Let It' but the project was cancelled.

Towards the end of 1997 the Chicago quartet hit the road with DOKKEN and PRETTY BOY FLOYD as a live album appeared in Japan. Word also arrived that Vikki Foxx and Derek Frigo were working together in a group called MONSTER ISLAND, although the project was put on hold in early 1998 as Foxx was invited to play drums on a tour with WARRANT.

The 'Live' album was released in America and Europe through Mayhem in July 1998. The album included a re-recorded studio version of 'Bring It On Home' (originally on the 'Animals With Human Intelligence' album) featured in the 'Jerry Maguire' movie.

Later in the year the band released the new studio album 'Paraphernalia', a record that included a guest showing from STYX guitarist James Young, SMASHING PUMPKINS man Billy Corgan and CHEAP TRICK's Rick Nielsen. 2000 found the band still active contributing their version of 'She Sells Sanctuary' for a CULT tribute album. Foxx joined BULLETBOYS the same year.

In May 2001 the band put in a back to back two night appearance in the UK at the London Underworld venue performing different sets each night. Support came from ANTI PRODUCT and SONIC BOOM BOYS on the Thursday gig and DIAMOND DOGS on the Friday.

Promoting their latest CD '10', and forming part of the 'Glam Slam Metal Jam' festival dates, along with WARRANT, QUIET RIOT and headliners POISON the band got back into the public arena during mid 2001. Despite the success of these arena gigs all did not run smoothly for the band. Plagued by injury first Ricky Parent broke a hand in a motorbike accident prior to the dates and later Donnie Vie would break two ribs and fracture a heel in time honoured fashion by falling off the stage. The incident happened mid set at a performance in Toronto when the frontman jumped from a monitor, landed awkwardly on one foot and tumbled into the orchestra pit. Vie had to be manouevered onstage on a wheelchair for his next gig at Pittsburgh.

Donnie Vie would guest as backing vocalist on the 2002 debut NEEDLE PARK album 'C'mon...Get Real'. ENUFF Z'NUFF would hook up with the ERIC MARTIN BAND for a series of co-headliners during September although it would soon transpire the band were performing as a trio minus Donnie Vie.

ENUFF Z'NUFF contributed their take on 'Yankee Rose' to the Versailles Records VAN HALEN tribute 'Best of Both Worlds' in 2003. Donnie Vie donated guest lead vocals to the track 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind' on the 2003 MR. BIG album 'Influences And Connections'. Also that year, the band signed to the Perris Records label to issue 'Welcome To Blue Island' for US release. This variant added four bonus cuts in a live cover version of THE BEATLES 'Hide Your Love Away' recorded on the Howard Stern show, '87 Days' seeing Donnie Vie sharing lead vocals with Marq Torien of the BULLETBOYS, the original 'July 1970' and a cover of NIRVANA's 'All Apologies'. Throughout June and July ENUFF Z'NUFF allied themselves with PRETTY BOY FLOYD and FASTER PUSSYCAT for the debut 'Metal Sludge' tour of North America. The band's 31st August show at the Cat Club in Hollywood saw a full reunion of Donnie Vie, Derek Frigo and Vik Foxx. With this gig having been recorded for a live album, plans were set in motion to commence work on a new studio album. However, sad news emerged in the Spring of 2004 when it was learned that Derek Frigo had died of a suspected drug overdose on 28th May. He was just 36.

ENUFF Z'NUFF's thirteenth album, including Frigo's guitar work and simply billed '?' being issued through Frontiers Records in 2005, included a cover of QUEEN's 'Stone Cold Crazy'. European versions added the bonus track 'Fly High Michelle' in an acoustic format. The band scheduled UK dates ranked alongside PRETTY BOY FLOYD and BANG TANGO for April. A further release, the live 'One More For The Road', culled from the Hollywood Cat Club show of August 2003, featured a leftover studio cut from the '?' album entitled 'Mary Jane'.

Chip Z'nuff joined a one off band for a 30th October gig at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Las Vegas alongside ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, ADLER'S APPETITE singer Sheldon Tarsha, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES guitarists Michael Thomas and IZZY STRADLIN' band guitarist JT Longoria.

ENUFF Z'NUFF got back on the road in 2006, touring the USA in June alongside VIXEN. In July 2007 the band appeared at a once in a lifetime gathering of 80s Rock acts dubbed 'Rocklahoma', a three-day outdoor festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma, sharing the billing with RATT, VINCE NEIL, WARRANT, SLAUGHTER, QUIET RIOT, WINGER, DOKKEN, JACKYL, FASTER PUSSYCAT, POISON, STEELHEART, 36 INCHES, Y&T, FIREHOUSE, BULLETBOYS, BANG TANGO and GREAT WHITE.

In October 2008 it was learned Chip Z'nuff had forged a fresh band unit dubbed GUNS OF DESTRUCTION in union with L.A. GUNS and BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION guitarist Tracii Guns and former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler.

The group imploded in acrimonious circumstances midway through US tour dates in April 2009.