Following an unsuccessful audition for Kiss at the age of 18, where he befriended bass player Gene Simmons, Doug formed the band Mansfield with old bass playing school friend Jerry Best (Freak Of Nature). After recording a self financed two-track release in 1983 he and Jerry hooked up with the band Lion featuring Kal Swan and drummer Mark Edwards (Steeler). The previous year had seen Lion featured on the soundtrack to Friday The 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (1984). Doug's recording debut with Lion was not until the Power Love EP in 1986. This was followed a year later by the band's self produced album Dangerous Attraction (Scotti Brothers), featuring the aforementioned Transformers theme tune. The track Never Surrender would also feature on a movie soundtrack, a Charlie Sheen vehicle The Wraith. Soon the band would fall out of favour with their label which lead to legal action and perhaps resulted in the band being black listed by the industry. Lion were to record one final album (on an indie label) although it would be largely made up of re-recordings of previously released songs. Trouble In Angel City (Grand Slamm Records, 1989) was the final album with the band splitting in October '89 following Mark Edward's near fatal motocross accident. Doug subsequently joined Hurricane recording just one album, Slave To The Thrill (Enigma Records, 1990). Other work around this time included touring duties with the band Brunette featuring Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell) on vocals. By this time Doug had amassed an army of students, the teaching supplementing his recording/performance work.

By 1990 invites had come in from both Ronnie James Dio and the soon to be successful Slaughter but Doug turned them down in the hope that he and Kal could still do something under the Lion monicker. Instead he appeared on the House Of Lords album Sahara thanks to his long standing friendship with Gene Simmons, whose label handled the band. Bizarrely his work is largely uncredited with an unknown player, Michael Guy, appearing on the album sleeve. He was also called in to tour the album in early '91, where the band supported teen sensations of the time Nelson. The album features some fine work and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Doug's playing.

Doug and Kal Swan formed the band Bad Moon Rising in 1991, prolifically releasing the ep Full Moon Fever and Japanese hit album Bad Moon Rising (Pony Canyon, 1991) the same year. The band was to last another seven years with little success post grunge, releasing Blood (Music For Nations, 1993), Opium For The Masses (Pony Canyon, 1995), and the compilation Flames On The Moon (Pony Canyon, 1999). During this time Doug released a couple of solo albums; Highcentered and Electrovision which saw him exploring the guitar more experimentally. Next came the band Burning Rain with vocalist Keith St. John (Montrose, St.John). Largely unsuccessful Doug supplemented the band with session work including a stint with 80's starlet Tiffany. Burning Rain was to last only two releases before a chance came once again to join the Dio camp in 2002 and this time the opportunity would not be missed! Replacing Craig Goldy, he laid down all the guitar parts for the album Killing The Dragon which many people saw as a rebirth for Dio. Although arriving late to the project he managed to contribute his writing skills to the tracks Along Comes A Spider and Scream. A show at the Roseland Ballroom, New York, in late 2002 was recorded and released as the excellent Evil Or Divine dvd.

In 2003 Doug was to get the call from a certain Mr Coverdale. Talks with John Sykes had collapsed and, having displayed a similar style, Doug was offered the job. For a while he was officially in both Dio and Whitesnake but with Ronnie James Dio jaded by the business, and Whitesnake looking into the possibility of recording, it was an easy decision for Doug to commit full time to the 'Snakes. After a few years of touring, Doug's first recorded appearance with Whitesnake was another live effort entitled Live... In The Still Of the Night. Doug displayed an uncanny ability with the Sykes era stuff that no one bar the British six singer himself had ever been able to attain previously. Helping him on the left of the stage was ex-Winger guitarist Reb Beach who faithfully covered the Steve Vai style era and provided quality vocal backup (something else missing in past 'Snake live lineups). Indeed, completed by drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Marco Mendoza (both apparently suggested by Sykes during early talks of a reconciliation!), this was a thumping return for Mr. Coverdale who had assembled the most dynamic line-up since the 80's glory years. The year ended with two awards, namely Best DVD Of The Year and Band Of The Year at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards, held in London, November 2006. Having provided some much sought new material (Ready To Rock being a personal fave) on yet another live release of 2006, the Live In Shadow Of the Blues cd, Doug was to play a major part on Whitesnake's 11th studio outing Good To Be Bad. Co-writing most of the tracks and co-producing the album alongside DC and his erstwhile assistant Michael McIntyre, Doug displays some stunning fret work - often reminiscent of a certain Mr. Sykes. It seems that he and DC really hit a tremendous understanding as a songwriting partnership with nods to various parts of the band's past, but with equal endeavour to freshen things up a little. A successful tour followed with the band supporting Def Leppard on an arena tour of Europe, often upstaging their younger headliners. One can only speculate what may have happened if Sykes had rejoined but in Doug Aldrich DC has found the perfect songwriting partner without the baggage.

WHITESNAKE DISCOGRAPHY:
Live... In The Shadow Of The Blues, 2006.
Good To Be Bad, 2008.

This article was written by Phillip Hackney