Songwriter and vocalist Peppi Marchello was the founder of the legendary Long Island hard rock/AOR outfit The Good Rats. The band amassed an enormous regional following but never managed to break through on a nationwide scale. By 1984, The Good Rats were history, and Peppi Marchello turned his attention to a solo album. Before long, Marchello teamed up with his son Gene, an up-and-coming guitarist in his own right. The project was initially intended to be called Popzarocca, but CBS Records felt it was wiser for Marchello senior to remain behind the scenes as songwriter and producer, placing the spotlight on Gene as the band's guitarist and vocalist. In March 1989, Marchello's debut album Destiny hit the shelves, combining high-quality AOR and melodic heavy rock with Gene's impressive fretboard skills. The song "First Love" was chosen as the lead single and received heavy rotation on MTV. Today, Destiny is widely regarded as a forgotten gem of the genre.