Dokken

Best known for being the lead singer, occasional guitarist, and founder of the band Dokken, the American singer and musician Donald Maynard Dokken was born June 29, 1953) is an. He’s He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style which has made him an influential figure in American heavy metal/glam metal. Dokken’s big break came In the late 1970s, while he was playing in a Los Angeles-based band called Airborn, and had the opportunity to reach a record deal in Germany. After seeing the band Xciter with future bandmates George Lynch and Mick Brown, he tried to recruit them for a new band. Lynch and Brown were not interested in joining forces with him when he first contacted them. Don, with the help of one of Xciter’s songs, secured the deal in Germany and convinced Lynch and Brown, along with bassist Juan Croucier, to join him in Dokken soon after he received it. During his time in Germany, Dokken also befriended the German band Scorpions, and sang with them in rehearsals for their Blackout album while lead vocalist Klaus Meine was being treated for nodes on his vocal cords. Don has stated that he recorded scratch vocals for “No One Like You,” “You Give Me All I Need,” and “Dynamite.” Until Meine recovered and returned to record the album. In 1983, the first Dokken album, Breaking the Chains was released in America. It got a moderate reception. After Juan Croucier left the band to join Ratt, Jeff Pilson was brought in for their second release, Tooth and Nail, and at this time metal fans and critics began to take notice of the band. Don’s strong, melodic vocals, coupled with Lynch’s blazing guitar playing, guided Dokken to national fame.

Sadly By the late 1980s, personal tension between Dokken and Lynch took its toll on the band. In 1988, after the Monsters of Rock Tour and a further platinum album, Don Dokken decided to break up the band and they went on their separate ways. 

Following the break-up Dokken released His 1990 solo album, Up from the Ashes, this spawned two singles, Mirror Mirror and Stay. This project was a supergroup of sorts, made up of guitarists John Norum (of Europe fame) and Billy White (of Watchtower fame), bassist Peter Baltes(of Accept fame), and drummer Mikkey Dee (of King Diamond and Motörhead and Scorpions), Don also spent time as a producer for the metal band XYZ during the late 1980s and early 1990s and made a guest appearance on the German progressive metal band Vanden Plas’s Spirit of Live album as the vocalist for their live performance of Dokken’s “Kiss of Death,” the studio version of which can be found on Vanden Plas’s Far Off Grace album.

Don reformed Dokken in the 1990s After, talking with Mick Brown, who had recently left George Lynch’s new group, Lynch Mob. They joined up with Jeff Pilson, and started to write new songs. In 1994, they sent what they had written to George Lynch, who was impressed with the material. Together, they decided to reunite and tour again. This reunion lasted for three years and resulted in two new Dokken albums. Sadly in the late 90s, Dokken once again parted ways with George Lynch, gained guitarist Reb Beach, and later kicked off a new era with guitarist John Norum after the departure of Reb Beach. however That union didn’t last long, as Norum soon departed to re-unite with Europe. Norum was briefly replaced by Italian guitarist Alex De Rosso for the live tour until 2003 when guitarist/lawyer Jon Levin joined the band. Since 1994, Dokken has released six studio albums, two live albums, a Greatest Hits album, as well as their first two DVDs. In 2008 Don Dokken released a new solo album titled Solitary and Dokken released a new album titled Lightning Strikes Again. in 2010,, Dokken released a second greatest hits album, aptly titled Greatest Hits.