Doug Aldrich


Doug Aldrich is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St. John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Whitesnake, Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, Bad Moon Rising and Revolution Saints. He is currently in the band The Dead Daisies. He has also released several solo albums. In 2015, Doug was touring as guitar player of former Deep Purple bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes band. In early 2016 it was announced that he would be replacing Richard Fortus as guitarist of The Dead Daisies.

Biography

Aldrich was first introduced to the guitar at age 11 when his sister Jennifer introduced him to the playing of Jeff Beck. Aldrich's first guitar was a Les Paul model and came from Sears. Aldrich auditioned for Kiss. He did not get the gig but as a result of the audition he met Gene Simmons and he and Gene are friends to this day. Aldrich was also once a highly sought after guitar teacher, at one point he was teaching over 70 students a week.
Aldrich joined Lion in 1983, wrote and recorded two LPs and an EP before the band dissolved in 1989. Several of Lion's songs were featured on movie soundtracks in the mid-80s, including Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Transformers: The Movie.
He was briefly a member of Hurricane, replacing founding guitarist Robert Sarzo in 1989. He participated in the writing and recording of Slave to the Thrill before departing the band.
In early 2014 Aldrich joined the critically acclaimed production show Raiding the Rock Vault at the Tropicana Las Vegas, where he performed six shows a week with other Rock'n Roll greats including Robin McAuley, John Payne, Howard Leese, Paul Shortino and Andrew Freeman, among others. As of late 2015 this collaboration was still on ongoing project.
During 2015 Doug joined the Glenn Hughes solo European tour as guitarist, along with drummer Pontus Engborg, to complete the power trio with Hughes on bass and vocals.
In late January 2016, it was announced that Aldrich would be replacing Richard Fortus as guitarist in The Dead Daisies, as Fortus will be participating in the Guns N' Roses reunion. As of late January 2016 Aldrich was in Nashville with The Dead Daisies, working on a follow-up album to Revolución. As a member of The Dead Daisies Aldrich is being reunited with bassist Marco Mendoza; the two previously performed together in Whitesnake. In November 2016, Aldrich performed with The Dead Daisies on the Kiss Kruise VI event.

Equipment

Aldrich was previously endorsed by Jackson Guitars. He used their Dinky and Soloist superstrats as well as his own signature model which has bridge and neck position humbucking pickups were "Full-shred" pickups which Seymour Duncan specially wired. Presently, California-based Suhr Guitars offers Aldrich signature humbucking pickups. He plays various Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Stratocasters through Suhr/ Cameron hot-rodded Marshall JMPs and Vintage Modern amps. In 2016, Aldrich became an official endorsee of ESP Guitars. Aldrich sums up his philosophy of playing this way, "I'm not one of those guys that follows whatever is trendy. I'd rather do what I do best and do it to the best of my ability."

Discography

Other works