Several months after undergoing spinal surgery, Dokken frontman Don Dokken has confirmed that he no longer has the ability to play guitar due to paralysis in his right hand.
The singer and guitarist underwent surgery in late 2019 and, earlier this year, said, “My hands are dead. They don’t move. It’s very strange,” in a January interview with ”Classic Metal Show.” Dokken noted he needed assistance for basic everyday activities such as getting dressed, brushing his teeth and feeding himself.
Still, he retained confidence in his voice, which would give him cause to remain on the road, even if an assistant was needed for those aforementioned necessities.
Despite this, the rocker anticipated making a full recovery and regaining the use of his hands, which, sadly, has not happened.
In a new interview with EonMusic, Dokken confirmed, “I was just coming from the hospital right now where I do my therapy, and yeah, my right hand; I can’t play guitar any more, it’s over. My right hand is paralyzed,” when discussing the band’s forthcoming The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 album.
“It’s been seven months since the surgery,” decried the frontman, who explained, “I’d just gotten my surgery a couple of months before the Metal Hall of Fame [induction ceremony], and they said, ‘Just be patient. Your hand will come back, you’ll get your feeling back. Be patient, be patient.’ But it’s been seven months, and my hand still doesn’t work. It just doesn’t work, and it’s the way it is. Sometimes bad things happen, you know? I’m not happy about it, but I played guitar for 50 years, so I guess I got some good time in.”
Dokken originally had a 2020 tour lined up with a special encore appearance each night from classic era guitarist George Lynch, which was then nixed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The band did, however, play a gig at the Magic Springs Theme and Water Park in Arkansas on July 18. The day before, Dokken performed at Dr. Pepper Park in Virginia.
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