Let’s Rock Chats With Don Dokken

Don Dokken has seen it all, done it all and he keeps on goin’.

The singer has recently released a look back into the early days of his career with The Lost Songs: 1978-1981. It’s a cool pre-success glimpse into what he was up to before the first official release of Dokken. Before Breaking The Chains, Don spent his time honing his songwriting and performing skills in Germany. The tunes on The Lost Songs provide a glimpse into what was to come, as Dokken became a mainstay throughout the 80s (in the so-called Hair Metal days) and have continued to tour and record ever since.

I could go on, but it really is much better to listen to Don tell the stories. I must admit, I was a little nervous about this one. When I called, Don was driving.

“Call back in 5 mimutes,” he advised me.

When I called back, he was still driving.

“You’ve got to give me 10 minutes, buddy.”

This wasn’t going well. Afraid I had pissed him off, I soon realized that the third time’s a charm. The scheduled 20 minute interview turned into almost an hour and a half of incredible story-telling, touching on his entire career, as well as the creation of The Lost Songs,playing shows during the covid-19 pandemic, travelling to India, Kpop, the rise and fall of Hair Metal and so much more.

With all due respect to everyone I have interviewed in the past, this was the most fun I have had with a guest on Let’s Rock. Cheers to Don Dokken for an incredible chat and here’s to wishing him a speedy recovery from surgery. He’ll be back out on the road ASAP.

(The interview was too long for one sitting and too cool not to share the whole thing. I’ve split it up into 3 parts for your listening convenience. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did.)