"George Lynch, guitar virtuoso, recalls Eddie Van Halen questioning him, 'What's the issue? Why have you lost your spark?' However, Lynch chose not to divulge his predicament to Van Halen."
In the '80s, George Lynch, famed guitarist of the rock band Dokken, made a name for himself in the music industry, crossing paths with some of the biggest names in rock. From Eddie Van Halen and Scorpions to Ozzy Osbourne, Lynch's interactions with these icons were marked by both high-profile tours and internal band strife.
Lynch's relationship with Eddie Van Halen was noteworthy. During the 1988 Monsters of Rock stadium tour, where Dokken shared the stage with Van Halen and Scorpions, Van Halen expressed concern about Lynch's lack of enthusiasm. This period was marred by turmoil within Dokken, particularly a bitter feud between Lynch and the band’s singer Don Dokken. Lynch learned that Don Dokken was planning to break up the band while they were preparing for this major tour, which devastated Lynch and affected his passion for performing.
The band's singer, Don Dokken, was indeed planning to end the group before the Monsters of Rock tour. This revelation further fueled Lynch's demotivation and uninspired performances. Lynch believes that Don Dokken may not have had a clear vision for the band and may not have been the best singer for Dokken to reach its full potential.
Another significant encounter was with Ozzy Osbourne. While details are scarce, Lynch felt "burned" by Osbourne in one context, likely referring to later career issues outside Dokken. During the Dokken years, interactions with Osbourne were not extensively documented.
Lynch's interactions with Scorpions were more positive. During the recording of Dokken's first album, Breaking The Chains, in Germany in 1981, Lynch claimed to have taught Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs a few tricks.
Before joining Dokken, Lynch was in a band named The Boyz with future Dokken drummer Mick Brown. The Boyz even opened for Van Halen, but they didn't have a great night and missed the opportunity to make a deal with Gene Simmons. Interestingly, Simmons had seen The Boyz play at Gazzari's and ended up producing Van Halen's demo recordings that led to their contract with Warner Brothers records.
Despite the setbacks in his career, including being kicked out by Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons, Scorpions, and Don Dokken, Lynch believes that the success of Dokken was due to the collaborative efforts of the band members. However, attempts at a lasting reunion of Dokken with Don Dokken have not been successful.
In a 2019 interview, Lynch spoke about his first contact with Eddie Van Halen at a club in Los Angeles in the late '70s. This encounter marked the beginning of a relationship that would span high-profile tours and internal band strife, shaping Lynch's career and the legacy of Dokken.
References: 1. [Source]
During the high-profile Monsters of Rock stadium tour in 1988, George Lynch's career-development was adversely affected by the turmoil within Dokken, particularly his strife with the band's singer Don Dokken, who was planning to end the group. On the other hand, Lynch's education-and-self-development received a boost when he claimed to have taught Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs a few tricks, during the recording of Dokken's first album, Breaking The Chains, in Germany in 1981.
