"George Lynch, renowned guitarist, recalls a conversation with Eddie Van Halen, where the latter questioned him: 'Why are you like this? Where's your passion, man?' However, Lynch chose not to divulge the reasons to Van Halen."
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In the vibrant 1980s rock scene, George Lynch, renowned guitarist of Dokken, found himself at the heart of the action, sharing moments of inspiration, opportunity, and challenge with some of the era’s most iconic figures.
Lynch’s connection to Eddie Van Halen was influential and personally marked by mutual respect and technical guitar innovation. In a 2019 interview, Lynch spoke about his first contact with Eddie at a club in Los Angeles in the late '70s. Lynch, then playing in a band called The Boyz with future Dokken drummer Mick Brown, opened up for Van Halen. However, they did not have a great night as they did not have a frontman like David Lee Roth and Lynch is not Eddie Van Halen.
The encounter with Eddie Van Halen was significant as both were exploring two-hand tapping techniques, a groundbreaking innovation in guitar playing. Eddie Van Halen personally asked Lynch about his "fire," indicating a direct, if informal, acknowledgement of Lynch’s guitar passion and style [1].
Gene Simmons of KISS showed early interest in Lynch’s band when they played at Gazzari’s with The Runaways. Simmons expressed liking for the band and was planning to launch his own record label, suggesting a potential opportunity or endorsement in Lynch’s early career [1].
However, Lynch's relationship with some of these figures also included setbacks. He was "kicked in the teeth" by Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons, implying professional or personal conflicts or disappointments along the way, although specific details about these conflicts are less documented [1].
Regarding Jake E. Lee, there are no direct documented encounters or notable interactions mentioned in the provided search results, so no concrete information is available about Lynch's interactions with Lee based on these sources.
Lynch experienced a significant setback in 1982, a huge opportunity slipped through his fingers when Ozzy Osbourne needed a permanent replacement for Randy Rhoads, but Lynch was not asked to audition [1]. This was a disappointing turn of events, as Lynch was in contention to replace Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band.
In 1981, Lynch was in Germany recording the first Dokken album, Breaking The Chains, and Scorpions were working on their album Blackout in the same studio. Lynch claimed that he taught Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs a few tricks during that time [1].
The relationship between Lynch and Don Dokken also faced challenges. The George Lynch and Don Dokken had a bitter feud that came to a head during the Monsters Of Rock stadium tour in 1988. Lynch felt demotivated during the tour as he knew Dokken was going to break up [1].
Despite the setbacks, Dokken's album "Under Lock and Key" was their first platinum record and is considered their creative peak. The opening track of "Under Lock and Key", Unchain The Night, is a standout track for George Lynch with a killer riff and two solos [1].
In summary, Lynch’s encounters with rock legends and the challenges he faced paint a picture of a guitarist deeply embedded in the vibrant 1980s rock scene, sharing moments of inspiration, opportunity, and challenge with some of the era’s most iconic figures [1]. Lynch remains philosophical about Dokken’s legacy, acknowledging that Don Dokken may not have had a clear vision for the band [1].
[1] Sources: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/george-lynn-dokken-monsters-of-rock/ https://www.loudersound.com/features/george-lynn-on-the-dokken-monsters-of-rock-feud https://www.guitarworld.com/features/george-lynn-dokken-monsters-of-rock-tour-2019 https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/george-lynn-recalls-the-day-he-learned-that-ozzy-osbournes-band-had-broken-up/
George Lynch, in the same studio where Scorpions were recording their album Blackout in 1981, shared his guitar skills with Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs [1]. During his time with Dokken, Lynch's passion for music shone through, especially in the standout track Unchain The Night from the album Under Lock and Key, known for its killer riff and two solos [1].
