Depending who you ask, Whitesnake singer David Coverdale is either almost single handedly responsible for keeping bluesy hard rock alive in the British charts during the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, or is merely a Robert Plant clone who hit it big in the U.S. later in the ‘80s as an ‘MTV band' - by merging familiar Led Zeppelin sounds with pop metal/power ballads, and sexed-up videos. Born on September 22, 1951, in the British town of Saltburn-on-Sea, Yorkshire, Coverdale was born into a family who were avid music fans, which resulted in an early interest in the guitar, before switching over to vocals. Coverdale soon began fronting local rock outfits, including Denver Mule, The Government, River's Invitation, and The Fabulosa Brothers (from the late ‘60s through the early ‘70s). Looking for a new gig in 1973, Coverdale one day picked up the popular British music mag Melody Maker, and answered an ad for a group looking for a vocalist. Little did he know, that the group in question was Deep Purple.
Purple had become one of the world's top hard rock/heavy metal bands by 1973 (thanks largely to their massive hit single "Smoke on the Water" and such classic albums as Machine Head and Made in Japan), but when singer Ian Gillan was ousted from the group, a vacancy developed. On the strength of his singing and songwriting talents, Coverdale was welcomed into the group immediately, resembling a true life ‘rags to riches' story. The Coverdale-led version of Purple got off to a solid start with another hit album, 1974's Burn, but by the time of its follow-up (and second band release of the year), Stormbringer, cracks began to appear in the Purple armor. Guitarist/bandleader Ritchie Blackmore's interest in the group began to wane around this time -- due to the other member's desire to incorporate funk into their style -- resulting in his exit (Blackmore would go on to form the progressive metal outfit, Rainbow).
Instead of packing it in, Coverdale remembered the name of a guitarist he heard a few years back on Billy Cobham's landmark jazz-fusion release, Spectrum, and figured he'd make a good replacement for Blackmore. The guitarist in question was Tommy Bolin, who accepted the invite to fill Blackmore's large shoes. Despite an underrated album, 1975's Come Taste the Band, this would prove to be Purple's last hurrah, as they split up a year later. It didn't take long before Coverdale re-emerged as a solo artist however, sticking to his blues-rock/R n' B-based roots in the face of the era's burgeoning punk movement, as evidenced by such releases as 1977's Whitesnake and 1978's Northwinds. In the process of recording and touring behind these releases, Coverdale had assembled quite a backing band, especially evident in the twin guitar attack of Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody. As a result, Coverdale opted to issue albums under the name of Whitesnake -- although it gave the public a sense that it was a true band, Coverdale was the undisputed leader, as he'd be the only constant member throughout its many subsequent line-ups.
Whitesnake built a rabid European following on the strength of such albums as 1978's Snakebite and Trouble, 1979's Love Hunter, and also benefited by changing musical tastes, especially the uprising of new UK-based hard rock/heavy metal bands -- a movement dubbed ‘The New Wave of British Heavy Metal.' The ‘80s saw Whitesnake become even bigger in their native land, as they scored a major hit single with "Fool for Your Loving" (which even managed to scrape the middle of the U.S. singles charts), and offered further hard rocking albums as 1980's Ready An' Willing and Live in the Heart of the City, 1981's Come An' Get It, and 1982's Saints and Sinners. But despite their success back home, Coverdale had his sights set on breaking the U.S. market.
Coverdale enlisted former Tygers of Pan Tang/Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes into the Whitesnake ranks, a move that paid off immediately, as 1984's Slide It In became the group's biggest success yet in the U.S., just barely missing the Top 40. Although worldwide breakthrough success was just around the corner, Coverdale's singing career was put into jeopardy when he developed a serious sinus illness, which doctors thought may prevent Coverdale from ever singing again. This proved not to be the case, but as a result, not much was heard from the Whitesnake camp for over two years. Some feared that the break in action had killed off any buzz surrounding the band, and it certainly didn't help matters when it became known that Coverdale had dismissed Sykes from the band (even though he had penned and played on the majority of Whitesnake's upcoming album).
1987 finally saw the release of the highly anticipated follow up to Slide It In, simply titled Whitesnake. The album signaled a new path for Whitesnake, as they honed in directly on Led Zeppelin (both musically and in Coverdale's close vocal resemblance to Robert Plant), especially evident in the leadoff single/video, "Still of the Night." The video also starred Coverdale's girlfriend (and soon to be wife), B movie actress Tawny Kitaen, setting a trend in which the group would play second fiddle to Coverdale and Kitaen acting out steamy scenes in Whitesnake's videos. But it did pay off wildly for Coverdale, as Whitesnake finally broke the band big time in the States -- almost topping the album charts and spawning such further hit singles as "Here I Go Again" (a #1) and "Is This Love" - making them a bona fide arena headliner.
Whitesnake's massive commercial success wasn't long lasting, however, as the group basically repeated the same formula (with less than stellar results) on 1989's Slip of the Tongue. By the time the ensuing tour wrapped up in 1990, Coverdale's marriage was over, as was the group, as it appeared as though he'd completely disappeared for the next few years. With all of the Led Zeppelin comparisons still fresh in fans' minds, Coverdale provided more fuel for the fire, as he re-emerged in 1993 alongside guitarist Jimmy Page, as part of the super group Coverdale-Page. Despite a single album, Coverdale-Page and handful of gigs in Japan, the union was incredibly short lived (in fact, many feel that the unsuccessful partnership helped convince Page to hook up once more with Robert Plant a year later).
Coverdale pulled a disappearing act once more, eventually resurfacing with a new Whitesnake line-up in 1998, and a pair of releases, Restless Heart and the ‘unplugged' set, Starkers in Tokyo. With interest in ‘80s hair metal still at a lull, both albums failed to even see a proper release in the States, but an audience still existed for the group in other parts of the world. It was also around this time that a rumor began to circulate that Coverdale was to become Van Halen's next front man, which ultimately proved to be false. By the dawn of the 21st century, nostalgia for ‘80s pop metal bands had emerged, and there was suddenly a demand once more for groups like Whitesnake. Sensing this, Coverdale put together another new Whitesnake line-up, and launched a co-headlining U.S. tour with The Scorpions in early 2003. Later in the year, Coverdale hopes to issue his first true solo album since the late ‘70s. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
David Coverdale was born into a family that supported artistic expression. Upon reaching adulthood, he took up the guitar, and was briefly a student at Middlesbrough Art College. As an aspiring musician, he was largely unknown, playing in various anonymous teenage bands, living in Marske-by-the-Sea and working in a trendy clothes shop called Gentry in Redcar, Teesside, until answering an advertisement in a 1973 copy of Melody Maker to audition as a vocalist. Not until he arrived did he find the band was the famous hard rock band, Deep Purple, whose vocalist Ian Gillan had given notice to leave the band. Coverdale had fronted a local group called Government, which had supported Deep Purple, and so both he and the band were familiar with one another, and he was admitted into the band, with bassist Glenn Hughes adding his own vocals as well. In April 1974, Coverdale and Deep Purple performed to over 200,000 music fans in his first trip to America at the California Jam. He also sang on Jon Lord's Windows and Roger Glover's Butterfly Ball. The band put out the album Burn, it sold over a million albums, reaching double platinum status in both the United States and the UK, in 1974, followed by Stormbringer, the same year, which ranked at gold album status in both locations. However, their guitar player, Ritchie Blackmore left over creative differences in the band's sound, which had been experimenting with funk, although rather than disbanding, Coverdale recruited guitarist Tommy Bolin (of Billy Cobham fame) and the band released 1975's Come Taste the Band. This last album was again less commercially successful, reaching only silver status in sales, and the band broke up a year later in March 1976.[1]
Whitesnake
Coverdale soon formed Whitesnake and during the late seventies and early eighties, with ever changing line-ups, recorded a series of well-received blues-rock albums. With ex-Deep Purple founders Jon Lord followed by Ian Paice joining in 1979, Whitesnake worked hard to become international superstars. According to British heavy metal magazine Kerrang!, in 1982, Coverdale was considered for the vocalist position with Black Sabbath following the departure of Ronnie James Dio. Coverdale declined.
Whitesnake gained large popularity in the UK, Europe, and Asia but North American success remained elusive. In 1984, the album Slide It In dented the US charts but not enough to be considered a success. In time for the US release of Slide It In David Coverdale made a calculated attempt in updating Whitesnake's sound and look by recruiting guitarist John Sykes. Sykes brought a more contemporary, aggressive guitar sound with him and had stage manners to match. In 1985 Sykes and Coverdale started working on new songs for the next album but Coverdale soon contracted a sinus infection that made recording close to impossible for much of 1986. Coverdale eventually recovered and recordings were continued but before their upcoming self-titled album was fully recorded and released, Sykes and the rest of the recording band had parted company.
The split with Sykes was not amicable. In many period interviews, Coverdale stated that the next album was a make or break album for Whitesnake and if not successful he would disband the band altogether. During 1987 and 1988, North America was finally won with the multi-platinum self-titled Whitesnake album, co-written for the most part with John Sykes.
The 1987 album has sold 8 times platinum since its release, propelled by hit singles such as "Here I Go Again." Through the late 80s and early 90s, caught in the "hair-band" era, Coverdale kept Whitesnake going with great success and with changing lineups until the end of 1991. It is no secret that Coverdale wanted out of the business at that point. He'd grown uncomfortable with the entity he then felt Whitesnake had become and admits that he got "caught up in it". In a candid period interview, Coverdale sums it up in one sentence:
"It got louder and louder, and so did I, to the point now where I have to get dressed up as a "girly man" and tease ones questionable bangs (or hair) and it's all getting a bit... boring."
Coverdale at the Monsters of Rock festival in 1990; during the "hair band" era
On 26 September 1990, after the last show on the Slip of the Tongue tour in Tokyo, Coverdale disbanded Whitesnake indefinitely. Tired of the business in general, the rigors of touring and troubled by the separation and later divorce from Tawny Kitaen, Coverdale wanted to find other values in life and took "private time to reflect" and re-assess his career direction.
The hiatus did not last long. In the early spring of 1991, a collaboration was set up with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame. This collaboration resulted in the Coverdale-Page album released in March 1993. Both parties have said that the collaboration revitalized them both on many levels. Although well received by critics, the album soon fell off the charts and a US tour had to be cancelled due to slow ticket sales and after only a limited Japanese tour, Coverdale and Page parted ways. In part, the problem has been the comparison to Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame who initially fronted the band with Jimmy Page as vocalist in the band. Some of their audience criticized him, feeling he was merely a Plant clone.[1]
In 1994, Whitesnake went on the road again in support of a Greatest Hits compilation. Citing weak sales, Geffen Records elected not to renew Whitesnake's recording contract, and Whitesnake was again put on ice.
In December 2002, Coverdale re-reformed Whitesnake for an American and European tour, with Tommy Aldridge on drums, Marco Mendoza (bass), Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar) and keyboardistTimothy Drury. 2004-2005 saw Whitesnake embark on a tour of the United States, South America and Europe. A live DVD, shot during the 2005 tour at the legendary Carling Apollo was released in February 2006. In June 2006, Coverdale signed a new record deal with Steamhammer Records. The first release under the new contract was the double live album Live: In the Shadow of the Blues (released 27 November 2006), the album also contained 4 brand new studio tracks written by Coverdale and Aldrich. Coverdale recently (2006) had a song written about him by Australian independent band The Fauves. The song alludes to buying one of his albums at a gas station and driving through the night listening to it.[citation needed]
In 2008, Coverdale, with the new Whitesnake line-up, embarked on a European Tour as part of a double bill with fellow Yorkshire rockers Def Leppard.
Coverdale, singing with Whitesnake in Ljubljana, Slovenia in Summer 2006
David Coverdale has been the lead vocalist for Deep Purple as well as four various stints in Whitesnake. In addition, he has been the vocalist for the following bands:
David Coverdale was first married in 1974 to Julia, and their daughter Jessica was born in 1978. Coverdale's second marriage was to actress Tawny Kitaen, from 17 February1989 until their divorce in April 1991. Kitaen was known for her provocative appearances in Whitesnake's music videos for "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love" and "Still Of The Night." Since 1997, he has been married to Cindy, an author with works such as The Food That Rocks. They have a son, Jasper (b. 1996). Coverdale is also a grandfather to his daughter Jessica's two children, Georgina and Mathilda.[citation needed]
On 1 March 2007, Coverdale became a U.S. citizen, in a ceremony in Reno, and now holds dualUS/UK citizenship. He has lived near Lake Tahoe for more than 20 years.[2]
Guitarists
Over his 30 year career, Coverdale has worked with many of rock music's most accomplished guitarists:
Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmore's Night) - in Deep Purple (1973-1975)
