Whitesnake Recruit Night Ranger Guitarist

Whitesnake have recruited former Night Ranger member Joel Hoekstra to replace guitarist Doug Aldrich.

Aldrich, who appeared on the band’s last two albums, quit in May (14) to concentrate on “several recording and live commitments”, and David Coverdale admits he didn’t have to wait long to fill the vacancy.

Announcing the recruitment news on Thursday (21Aug14), the singer says, “One of the first, if not the first, guitarists to put his name forward after hearing that Doug Aldrich had left the band was an exceptionally talented musician whom we had met briefly last year when his band opened for Whitesnake in Arizona.

“Everyone was very impressed by him, not only for his ability to play amazing guitar, but, also his very agreeable personality and he was definitely foremost in our minds when we began to search for Doug’s replacement. We jammed together and were mutually impressed enough to ask him to join Whitesnake on the spot. This was May 30th, 2014.”

And Hoekstra’s bandmates in Night Ranger couldn’t be happier for the guitarist – as he fulfils his remaining tour dates with the group, they state, “The last eight-plus years have been a blast, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

Hoekstra appeared on two Night Ranger studio albums and 2012’s 30th-anniversary acoustic concert release, 24 Strings & A Drummer.