Jillson – Deadly Girl

Jillson originated from Nevada and are better known for multi-instrumentalist Don Jillson (aka Tommy Paris) later replacing “Dizzy” Dean Davidson on vocals with BRITNY FOX, & recording 2 albums to date with them (“Bite Down hard” & “Springhead Motorshark”). He remained as BRITNY FOX’s vocalist until he was replaced by Jamie Fletcher in 2008 with that act splitting up shortly thereafter.

JILLSON originally released a 4-track EP in 1986 featuring the tracks: “Take it All The Way”, “InTouch”, “Use Me”, & “The End” (with only a re-recorded version of “The End” appearing as a bonus track on the Retrospect reissue of JILLSON’s lone LP from 1990 titled, “Deadly Girl”). The lineup on that EP only featured 2 members: Don Jillson (v/b/g/d/k) & Scott Evans (g). It’s unclear if there were any other lineups before or after that EP, but Don would put together a lineup featuring: Terry Ripley (g), Jamie Warren Borden (d) (ex-STRANGER, ex-DIVINE JUDGEMENT, ex-J.J.T. + others), & Dale Borden (b/k).

They would record the “Deadly Girl” LP in 1990 with the Retrospect reissue including 3 bonus tracks that were recorded shortly after the album (likely in 1990 as well). Don Jillson would join BRITNY FOX afterwards as well as DIVINE JUDGEMENT with Jamie Warren Borden, & would more recently tour with the Classic Rock act COUNT’S 77 that features Danny “Count” Koker on vocals from the television series “Counting Cars” (it’s unclear if Don Jillson is currently with that group or not).

Don would also record material once again with Jamie Warren Borden & guitarist Jimmy Crespo (ex-AEROSMITH, ex-ADAM BOMB, ex-ROUGH CUTT, ex-FLAME, Solo) with material more recently being unearthed by Retrospect Records as well. The JILLSON sound was criminally underrated Melodic Rock with AOR/HM/Glam tendencies best comparable to “Bite Down Hard”-era BRITNY FOX as well as some of the bands mentioned above & also acts such as REO SPEEDWAGON & CHICAGO during their lighter moments 90s indicated by Retrospect Records). Don Jillson also recorded a Solo LP under the “Tommy Paris” moniker in 2002 that was more along the lines of modernized garbage.