Best Dokken Guitarist EVER IMO!..Billy White

[horns666]

Here's my personal kick in the dick. I remember buying and listening to Don Dokken's "Up from the ashes" when it was released and it fucking blew me away. Especially with the scortching opener "Crash N Burn". Well, needless to say the first time I heard this solo it was clear, and to my disbelief at that time ..Don did not NEED George Lynch. John Norum seem to be handling his job with perfection. So I listened to this song for a few years always thinking the fuggin' solo was played by John Norum..WRONG!! An old freind (amazing guitarist) I went to see this line-up live. ..ummm early '91..somewhere out in Bumfuck Egypt..but he drove so I didn't give a fuck, and just got baked on the way there.

So we went to this club and maybe 40-50 people were there. So as we were looking at the gear we stood on the left where John Norum was going to be per the roadie. Don came on..including Mickey Dee on drums and killed. Opening with Crash N Burn. Fucking awesome. OK..OK..here's comes the fuggin' solo..John's face looks like he's ready to ..to ..play RYTHM??? WTF...?? WTF???. :think: We thought the other asshole was some hired gun to play rythym..so we go rushing like two tools to watch this fuck. All fuggin' night he was grabbing all the solos we thought were John's.. We got to say hey after the show. His name was Billy White..and he was obviously the Alpha Male guitarist in the band...with John Norum.

In 2000 My wife and I were VIP guest with Dokken w/ Reb Beach (Erase the Slate). and I aksed him about Billy White, and he seemed amazed when I said that. He said Billy was by far the BEST guitarist that he has EVER worked or played with. Mind you Reb and the rest of the band is right there when Don said this.. as a matter of fact! He said Billy quit playing music professionally, and casually did his own thing for a while. Besides Tim Calvert (Nevermore), and another fave Andre Corbin (Helstar). Lets all pay homage to the awesome shredders that fell during the Clinton years. ..Or as I call it "The Ebonic Plague". Yeahhh boyeeeeeeee..

With the magic of Youtube.

Crash N Burn ..studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itl70ZV3wUo

Crash N Burn ..Live w/ John Norum and Billy White. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7-7qk7JYZg

1000 miles away..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikmhp...eature=related

Where did Billy White come from. Well, Watch Tower of course. You can scroll through these songs and listen to Billy White on Watch Tower's 1985's debut "Energetic Disassembly" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s44Uh...rom=PL&index=4

He's not in this but this is Billy's replacement Ron Jarzombek ..watch him fall on his ass, and bassist Doug Keyser bustin' his balls.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpxa4...eature=related


I taked with Jason McMaster's (Dangerous Toys) replacemet..Alan Tecchio (Hades, Non Fiction, Watch Tower) who said that "Billy is one of the best there is".

I have lost track of Billy White since. He's prolly in my library as a guest somewhere and not aware of it..that's certainly possible.

[horns666]

Correction. I couldn't been listening to "Up from the Ashes" as I stated above a "a few years". But it seemed like it because that was on CONSTANT rotation when it came out ..along with Vince Neil's "Exposed" w/ Steve Stevens.

[toxikdeth]

That's fucking crazy horns I've been listening to alot of watchtower lately and have been like shit this is the best thrash guitarist ever never knew he was in dokken.

[toxikdeth]

Oops correction horns ron jarzombek is the guitarist from watchtower I've been thinking of. I'll prolly go buy their first album and listen to this guy your talking about

[horns666]

Oops correction horns ron jarzombek is the guitarist from watchtower I've been thinking of. I'll prolly go buy their first album and listen to this guy your talking about

Wassup Tox ..yeah I love Watch Tower and have both studio cds, and Ron Jarzombek's Spastic Ink stuff as well.

Billy and Jason was on Watch Tower first cd. Then Ron joined in '87. That when Billy White took a break and resurfaced in Don Dokken's first solo thing. That came out in early '90 I believe, and they prolly worked on that that for about a year..I'm thinkin'.

You would go nuts in my music room. We could listen to stuff for months on end without a break..

I loved Andre Corbin Era Helsatr too. You should check him out on youtube as well. He was on their "Nosferatu" and "Distant Thunder" cds.

[toxikdeth]

Wassup Tox ..yeah I love Watch Tower and have both studio cds, and Ron Jarzombek's Spastic Ink stuff as well.

Billy and Jason was on Watch Tower first cd. Then Ron joined in '87. That when Billy White took a break and resurfaced in Don Dokken's first solo thing. That came out in early '90 I believe, and they prolly worked on that that for about a year..I'm thinkin'.

You would go nuts in my music room. We could listen to stuff for months on end without a break..

I loved Andre Corbin Era Helsatr too. You should check him out on youtube as well. He was on their "Nosferatu" and "Distant Thunder" cds.

Ya I'd prolly go nuts sounds like you got some good stuff in your music room. Never got big on dokken but maybe I'll check some of whites stuff out as well as the other stuff you suggested.

[horns666]

Ya I'd prolly go nuts sounds like you got some good stuff in your music room. Never got big on dokken but maybe I'll check some of whites stuff out as well as the other stuff you suggested.

Basically, this all ties in with my lifelong thing with OCD. Which I think has been a blessing because I always want to find the best..whatever it is ..it has to be the best. The main thing for me is with guitar players. All my favorite players are in rock/metal bands..so. The best players..the best bands..

The shred continuum..

[Rupe]

Billy was awesome in Don's solo band...I was surprised too when I saw that he was the main soloist over Norum.

A few years later I was all over his solo EP when it was released ("Billy White Trio" I believe??? I'll have to check the archives :lol)...and couldn't have been more let down. Weak songs, uninspired playing.

IIRC, he was somewhat of a cult hero down in Texas?

[horns666]

Yeah..I thought Norum played EVERYTHING on that album at that time and when I saw him live. I thought the other guy was just some dude they hired for ryhthm...NOT!

I saw Dokken with Lynch 6 times , and Lynch Mob..in their heyday!! Then saw this line-up, then saw Dokken with Reb in 2000. ALL amazing players..But Billy White just KILLED!!!

I walked out on Lynch a few years ago. He was pathetic..I walked out both pissed and sad!

My friend Tommy (the one at this show with me) bought that Billy White EP, and told me it sucked..nobody cared about shredding anymore, and these players were trying to find their footing in the wake of Nirvana and Run DMC..so they just said ..fuggit. ..ala Lynch Mob "Smoke This"..try to find that shit on youtube. It doesn't exist!! I wish it did!

[Jacksons Shred]

I loved Andre Corbin Era Helsatr too. You should check him out on youtube as well. He was on their "Nosferatu" and "Distant Thunder" cds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpPSVeBruA

Nosferatu is probably the most under-rated thrash album of all time. This song and video just makes me want to put my head through a wall and K.O. a hardcore kid.

[horns666]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpPSVeBruA

Nosferatu is probably the most under-rated thrash album of all time. This song and video just makes me want to put my head through a wall and K.O. a hardcore kid.

Fuck yea Nick, .."A Distant Thunder" too!!! Andre just gave up completely..and became an accountant. that's true.

We gotta talk..well do it @ Casa when I get the chance and I'm going to turn you on to a pack of players I KNOW you'll dig!! You can NEVER get too much inspiration.

[toxikdeth]

Basically, this all ties in with my lifelong thing with OCD. Which I think has been a blessing because I always want to find the best..whatever it is ..it has to be the best. The main thing for me is with guitar players. All my favorite players are in rock/metal bands..so. The best players..the best bands..

The shred continuum..

Ya same here it always has to be the best for me to. My guitar hero beats yours type thing. That's what continues to help me to try improve myself.

[Jacksons Shred]

Fuck yea Nick, .."A Distant Thunder" too!!! Andre just gave up completely..and became an accountant. that's true.

We gotta talk..well do it @ Casa when I get the chance and I'm going to turn you on to a pack of players I KNOW you'll dig!! You can NEVER get too much inspiration.

Really? I don't get how someone could do that, especially how good he was. I don't think I could ever give up guitar at this point. I've sacrificed too much (friends, high school, high school graduation...) and I'm sure those guys have sacraficed much more then I.

I agree with ya on never having too much inspiration. I was searching CList for some guitarist for a band and I found this kid who just totally blew my mind away, needless to say the fire under my ass has been lit and I see so many more flaws in my playing!

[Wayniac]

Yep - I did the same thing when I caught them a Toads Place.. was waiting for Norum to rip my face off - and I think Billy Played 80-90% of the solos. I was shocked as shit!
I had both his solo discs.. HUGE letdown after the Don Dokken stuff...

[horns666]

Yep - I did the same thing when I caught them a Toads Place.. was waiting for Norum to rip my face off - and I think Billy Played 80-90% of the solos. I was shocked as shit!
I had both his solo discs.. HUGE letdown after the Don Dokken stuff...

You saw it too..wasn't that a real kick in the chops??!!

Well alot of the well known "shredders" tried to switch gears when everyone didn't care about it anymore. Could you imagine making a living by busting your ass to become good as humnaly possible..then suddenly (grunge) nobody cares. But music is your bread and butter..therefore you try to do what is popular and it just fails. That has to suck.

I just watched from the sidelines and it sucked.