Nitro formed in Los Angeles in 1987, with Jim Gillette on vocals, Michael Angelo Batio on guitar, T.J. Racer on bass, and Bobby Rock on drums. They signed with Geffen Records and put out their debut album 'O.F.R.' in 1989. The record did well, landing in the Billboard top 40, and it had a song called 'Johnny Died On Christmas' that people still remember.
That song, a holiday ballad, became their calling card. It's the one that stuck around. The band's sound was built on Batio's flashy guitar work and Gillette's high vocals, heard on tracks like 'Cat Scratch Fever' and 'Long Way From Home'.
Things got messy after that first album. Batio left in 1991 to go solo, and the band tried to keep going with different guitarists. They put out more music, but it didn't connect the same way. By 1993, they were done. Nitro didn't last long, but 'Johnny Died On Christmas' still gets played when December rolls around.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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