Former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich has moved to "officially clear the air" over his departure from the band.
Mainman David Coverdale last week revealed he’d left after 11 years and was planning a solo career. Both parties insisted there was no bad blood between them – although Aldrich said Coverdale’s claim that the guitarist was going solo wasn’t true.
But he’s revealed he’ looking forward to take advantage of opportunities he didn’t previously have time for.
Aldrich says: “As there is still some question regarding my situation with Whitesnake, I want to officially clear the air.
“On May 7 I made the insanely difficult decision to leave. Although not contractually bound I’ve moved on with David, starting pre-production for an upcoming Whitesnake project. I also had several recording and live commitments, so I needed a flexible schedule to conclude these before going full force as normal. Unfortunately, my schedule was not workable.”
He describes the early fruits of the Whitesnake project as “extremely positive and fun” – which only added to the difficulty of his choice.
But he continues: “This is a new beginning. I’ll definitely be working on new music, recording and touring – and I’ll have a bit more time to pursue some offers that I never had time to fit in before.”
The guitarist thanks his former bandmates and fans for their support, hailing Coverdale for his integrity and adding: “It was an honour to maintain that standard while I was in.
“Like lots of great things, it has come to an end. I treasured my 11-plus years in the band – two studio records, two DVDs, three live records and roughly 30 Coverdale/Aldrich songs!
“thank you, brother DC, for the great times, and for allowing me space to put my heart and soul into the history of your great band.”
Coverdale hasn’t yet unveiled any details of the project, which could be a follow-up to 2011 album Forevermore.
