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EXPLAINED: Whitesnake - The Real Truth

“David wanted my solos a certain way. The record we wrote, he said to Joel Hoekstra, ‘Play whatever you want, Reb – I'm going to take you under my wing’”: Reb Beach on working with David Coverdale, and what comes next now Winger and Whitesnake are over

With both his star bands calling it quits, the ace sideman finds himself at a career crossroads. But which path will he choose – jazz-fusion or stand-up comedy?

Guitar World

"We had a plan but, Jesus Christ, are you kidding?" How David Coverdale used glamour and bombast to turn Whitesnake into international superstars

Between 1984 and 1987, Whitesnake underwent a transformation like no other – and it paid off

Louder

"I'd been conscious of hardly ever being able to capture the heart, soul and spirit of the band." How David Coverdale led a fans' choir to create the connoisseur's favourite Whitesnake album

With three studio albums under their belt, Whitesnake unleashed their live sound on the world in a double dose of Hammersmith havoc

Louder

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“David Coverdale wanted my solos to be a certain way. He had to kind of approve my solos”: Reb Beach on why crafting guitar solos with Whitesnake was more challenging than Winger

Beach looks back on his career and how he employed his guitar chops differently in his two major bands

Guitar World

“I discovered that it would be harder to try to replicate his tone than anybody else”: Steve Vai has followed in the footsteps of many guitar greats – this was the hardest one to nail

He’s filled the shoes of Eddie Van Halen and Robert Fripp, but Vai says this particular gig was even harder

Guitar World

“It took me forever to commit. Once I got there, I went, ‘I should have been doing this for a very long time’”: Joel Hoekstra was late to the Les Paul party – now he’s making up for lost time

The Whitesnake guitarist spent years playing Floyd Rose guitars, then Janis Joplin changed his world

Guitar World

“We all adored BB, and he asked us to write something for him. But when we listened back to the demo we agreed we should keep it. Sorry, BB!”: The classic song that Whitesnake wrote for the King of the Blues – but didn’t give to him

And they later did the same thing with Tina Turner

MusicRadar

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“Each of them impacted the instrument in their own way, as luthiers, hitmakers, session players, or air guitar-inspiring soloists”: Remembering the guitarists we lost in 2025

2025 has been a big year for the guitar, but we've also had to sadly say goodbye to dozens of guitar greats, from many eras, and every imaginable genre. Here, we recognize those guitarists, and their contributions to the instrument

Guitar World

"Your golden pipes remain this guy’s all-time favourite rock voice to ever grace the planet": Steve Vai salutes Whitesnake legend David Coverdale

“David has shaken the earth for over half a century with a voice that could level a mountain”

MusicRadar

“After 50-plus years of an incredible journey with Deep Purple, Whitesnake, and Jimmy Page, it's time for me to hang up my platform shoes”: David Coverdale announces his retirement

After an iconic career, the Whitesnake singer is calling it a day

Guitar World

“I was afraid. The idea of being unable to sing and perform was horrifying. All the things you take for granted suddenly taken away from you. It was a very troubling time in my life”: An epic interview with rock legend and Whitesnake star David Coverdale

The highs and lows of an extraordinary career

MusicRadar

Rock legend tells fans it’s time to ‘hang up the platform shoes and skintight jeans’

IN FULL

The Independent UK

Whitesnake’s David Coverdale announces his retirement: ‘It’s time for me to call it a day’

British rocker says it’s time to hang up his platform shoes and skintight jeans

The Independent UK

Fare Thee Well! Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale announces retirement

Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale, who previously fronted Deep Purple, has announced his retirement from music after more than 50 years in the industry.

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Louder

"We've taken care of the lion's wig": Deep Purple and Whitesnake legend David Coverdale announces retirement

David Coverdale made the announcement in a video posted on social media

Guitar World

“It was not only an honour but deeply moving”: Bernie Marsden’s $1million ‘The Beast’ Les Paul was just played on stage by Slash’s favorite current British blues rock guitar hero

Chris Buck paid homage to both his father and the late Whitesnake guitarist with the performance

MusicRadar

And they later did the same thing with Tina Turner

Louder

“Yes showed you could write rocky prog, but UK took that further. They made complex music sound so easy, which makes me very envious”: Whitesnake ex Adrian Vandenberg’s prog inspirations

The Dutch guitarist lists some British musicians who inspired the world at large, as much for their attitudes as their creations

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Metal Hammer

I have to stop fighting the overwhelming evidence: nu metal and metalcore are officially dad rock now

Slipknot t-shirts being sold by Debenhams. Spotify 'Dad Rock' mixes featuring System Of A Down, Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage. Game over, mates

MusicRadar

“Nobody was going to freak out. We said, ‘This is going to get done. We just need to find the right person to join the family.’ And we got Steve Vai, thank God”: How the virtuoso Vai put the sizzle into the last big hair metal album of the ’80s

And he wasn't even supposed to be on the record in the first place

MusicRadar

“I’d done way worse than just licking the bass. Humping and stuff like that!”: The raunchy video that powered a hair metal anthem all the way to No.1

Ex-Whitesnake bassist reveals all

Guitar World

Their ranks have included blues-rock luminary Bernie Marsden, shred god Steve Vai, and journeyman virtuoso Reb Beach – here's the ultimate guide to the A-team guitarists that have shaped Whitesnake's blockbuster, stadium-conquering sound

David Coverdale’s revolving door of talent has included some of the finest rock guitarists of all time. This is how they each contributed to the many-times-platinum band's legacy

Guitar World

“A little thunder and lightning”: Slash dons a Gibson SG as Guns N’ Roses pay tribute to John Sykes with rampant cover of a Thin Lizzy classic

The Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist passed away in December last year

Guitar World

“I always used it with Whitesnake, which was perfect because it sounded like John Sykes' Les Paul”: Doug Aldrich on how Randy Rhoads’ inspiration helped him find a “killer” Les Paul – that was owned by the man who co-wrote Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven

Gear regrets? Aldrich has had a few – the ’73 Goldtop, the Tele – but he's also had some victories, like when he chanced upon a ’78 Les Paul Custom previously owned by Clapton collaborator Will Jennings

Guitar World

“He combined the passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin and Deep Purple, plus unexpected melodic twists like Ritchie Blackmore”: He was one of ’80s rock’s great journeymen – and his searing hot lead work inspired Marty Friedman

Exploring the lead guitar style of John Sykes, a player who – like Page, Blackmore, and Moore – balanced flair with power

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