1985

7th heaven started in 1985, when we were 15 years old in Des Plaines, IL USA.

Richie Hofherr met Mike Mooshey in the 3rd grade at Brentwood Elementary School.  Both were big fans of the rock band Kiss.

While in 3rd grade, Richie and Mike talked about one day, starting a rock band.

In 1984, while at Friendship Jr High, the plan started to take place.

During shop class, Richie built a Eddie Van Halen Guitar, and painted it in Art Class.

During that time, both Mike and Richie had art class with Tony Kees.

Tony Kees suggested the class create a rock concert, and then promote it thru the school, with flyers.

It was a lip sync concert, which was like the TV show at the time "Puttin on the Hits".

Richie tried out for Eddie Van Halen, and got the spot.

Mike was Ozzy Osbourne.

By the time the show happened, Richie was unable to perform in the actual show, due to not getting enough points on his blue card.

After the show, Richie and Mike said, hey, we can actually play, let's start a band.

Over the summer of 1985, the band was formed.

Re-creating the "putting on the hits" type of performance, they invited a bunch of friends to come jam together.

That day, Tony DiGiulio tried out as another guitar player.

Carl Citchanski tried out as a bass player.

Tony Davis tried out as a singer.

Kevin Quast and Dave Domlija also jammed with the band.

Tony Kees was also there.

It was video taped.

That night, after watching the video with Mike's sisters (Chris and Tammy), and Nikky Blood, we agreed that

Tony Davis would be a better bass player and Tony DiGiulio would be a better singer.

That night is how the band was determined and set.

Practicing in Tony DiGiulio's parents basement in Des Plaines, the band wrote 3 original songs:

"Shadows of War", "Closing In" and "We're Here to Rock for You".

The band also learned cover songs - Motley Crue "Smoking in the Boys Room", "Home Sweet Home"

TNT "Seven Seas" and Bryan Adams "Summer of 69".

In the fall of 1985, the band went and entered a contest to be on the actual TV show "Puttin on the Hits".

Performing (Lip Syncing) Loudness "Crazy Nights", the band won 3 rounds of that contest.

In the finals, the band lost, because the band was not allowed to bring in their under-age friends into a 21 and over bar, to vote.
Feeling confident that the band could now perform in front of an audience, the stage was set to actually do a live show.

In December of 1985, the Kirk School for Special Needs had the band perform for their Christmas Party.

The band played numerous songs, including John Monaco (Richie's Guitar Teacher at the time) coming onstage to

sing part of Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home".
After that show, the band thought they were ready for the big time.  The kids gave the band confidence to continue on;

and played a major role at the time to pushing 7th heaven to go farther with the dream.

"Shadows of War" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)

"Closing In" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)

"We're Here to Rock for You" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)

"Shadows of War" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)

"Closing In" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)

"We're Here to Rock for You" (Hofherr, DiGiulio, Mooshey)