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EXPLAINED: David coverdale - 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

Ten albums that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that 1980 was the greatest year ever for hard rock and heavy metal

Ozzy reborn! AC/DC back! Iron Maiden on the prowl! 1980 rocked

Metal Hammer

“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

“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

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"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.

BANG Premier

"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

Louder

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Metal Hammer

“I had no idea it would be such a catastrophic event in people’s lives!" How leaving Iron Maiden, A Nightmare On Elm Street and the acoustic album that never was led Bruce Dickinson to write Tears Of The Dragon

Tasked with kicking his solo career off for real, Bruce Dickinson produced one of the 90s' greatest metal power ballads

Louder

Glenn Hughes has played with Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion and more - but he should never have left his first band

Glenn Hughes has spent more than 50 years in rock - and he's ready to talk about it all

MusicRadar

And they later did the same thing with Tina Turner

MusicRadar

“I was driven to Ritchie’s house in Surrey. That was the big test. Sitting in his crazy bar, listening to his amazing demos on a Revox tape machine”: David Coverdale recalls his baptism of fire with Deep Purple

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Guitar World

“David said, ‘Slicky, you don’t have Les Pauls anymore.’ I said, ‘I haven’t been playing them.’ He said, ‘You need to get a couple’”: The one time David Bowie ordered Earl Slick to swap his Fenders for Gibsons

Slick went into the recording of 2003's Reality armed with a Telecaster, but his guitar of choice didn't cut it with Bowie

MusicRadar

“We went back to the castle, went down to the dungeon where we were set up, figured out what key we were gonna play in – and then Blackmore came up with that riff!”: Glenn Hughes recalls his magical time with Deep Purple in the ’70s

“I’m very proud of everything that I did with that band," he says

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

Louder

“David Coverdale’s had to become a pop singer to get success. There’s your glamour bands and your denim-clad groups. And your denim-clad groups survive”: How AC/DC swam against the 80s hair metal tide and made an underrated gem in Blow Up Your Video

AC/DC’s 1988 album Blow Up Your Video was a tipping point for the hard rock icons – and for guitarist Malcolm Young in particular

Guitar World

"We wrote a song based on a riff I had. The idea was to be Mahavishnu Orchestra with vocals": After Deep Purple decided not to hire him after Ritchie Blackmore's departure, Clem Clempson almost formed a wild supergroup with Glenn Hughes and David Bowie

The Colosseum and Humble Pie guitarist was in with a shot at joining the band –but says Tommy Bolin got the gig for one specific reason

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