George Lynch

One of hard rock’s most enduring and inventive six-string talents to surface during the 1980s metal boom, George Lynch propelled Dokken to major commercial heights before carving out a lengthy solo path through his long-lived Lynch Mob project. Armed with an array of distinctive guitars and a flair for technically dazzling leads, he has remained a fixture on the scene for more than forty years, issuing numerous recordings with his primary bands alongside a steady stream of side and independent releases, among them the all-instrumental sets Seamless (2021) and Guitars at the End of the World (2023).

Born September 28, 1954, in Spokane, Washington, Lynch grew up in Sacramento, California, where he first picked up the guitar during his teenage years. Drawing inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Leslie West, Jeff Beck, and Allan Holdsworth, he spent the 1970s working the L.A. club circuit in now-obscure outfits such as Sergeant Rocks, Xciter, and the Boyz. Membership in the latter introduced him to drummer Mick Brown and vocalist Don Dokken, leading to Dokken’s formation by the start of the following decade. Sporting a melodic style reminiscent of Van Halen and lyrics frequently centered on romantic turmoil, the band delivered its first album, Breaking the Chains, in 1982 via the European imprint Carrere; Elektra subsequently signed the group and re-released the record stateside, with Jeff Pilson replacing Ratt bassist Juan Croucier as a permanent addition shortly afterward.

Dokken followed with consecutive gold-certified efforts—1984’s Tooth and Nail and 1985’s Under Lock and Key—establishing the quartet as one of hard rock’s brightest rising acts. Around the same period Lynch began earning widespread acclaim for his instrumental prowess; with Randy Rhoads gone and Eddie Van Halen shifting emphasis toward composition, many fans sought a fresh virtuoso, and Lynch filled that role, topping countless reader polls and magazine rankings. He also gained notice for his visually striking instruments, most notably a skeletal-shaped model, while forging a durable association with ESP guitars.

Despite the promise of greater mainstream success, internal tensions tore Dokken apart. Longstanding friction between Lynch and Dokken intensified during the tour supporting 1987’s platinum-certified Back for the Attack, which featured Lynch’s showcase piece “Mr. Scary.” Even participation in the star-studded 1988 Monsters of Rock U.S. package—alongside Van Halen, the Scorpions, and Metallica—could not prevent the breakup, which was announced once the trek concluded. After the obligatory live document Beast from the East appeared, Lynch launched his new band, the Lynch Mob.

The initial lineup paired Lynch with vocalist Oni Logan, bassist Anthony Esposito, and drummer Mick Brown, resulting in the 1990 debut Wicked Sensation. Although the album charted modestly, its sound closely mirrored Dokken’s and never translated into major commercial traction. Lynch continued under the Lynch Mob banner with a self-titled 1992 follow-up and, as a solo artist, released Sacred Groove the next year; the latter project had originally been envisioned with guest vocalists such as Phil Anselmo and Chris Cornell, yet ultimately featured Matthew and Gunnar Nelson among others.

As individual careers cooled, Lynch and Dokken reconciled at their label’s urging, restoring the classic lineup for a 1994 reunion. An acoustic live set, One Live Night, arrived the following year, but familiar conflicts resurfaced while shaping the studio albums Dysfunctional (1995) and Shadowlife (1997). Neither restored the band’s earlier chart dominance, prompting Lynch’s second departure.

Throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s he alternated between Lynch Mob releases—featuring rotating personnel—and solo projects, yielding further titles including Smoke This, Will Play for Food, Wicked Underground (which reunited him with Pilson), Furious George, Scorpion Tales, and 2010’s Orchestral Mayhem. In 2014 Lynch joined Korn’s Ray Luzier and King’s X’s dUg Pinnick in the supergroup KXM, which issued a self-titled debut; that same year brought the Lynch Mob EP Sun Red Sun, and in 2015 he collaborated with Stryper’s Michael Sweet on Only to Rise under the name Sweet & Lynch. Also in 2015, Lynch Mob delivered its seventh studio album, Rebel. A prolific 2017 saw KXM release Scatterbrain, Lynch Mob unveil its eighth outing The Brotherhood, and Sweet & Lynch issue Unified. In 2019 Lynch assembled the End Machine, a Dokken-centric supergroup completed by Pilson, Brown, and vocalist Robert Mason; KXM followed later that year with Circle of Dolls. The 2020 covers collection Heavy Hitters paired Lynch with Pilson to recast pop tracks by One Direction, Duran Duran, and Prince as heavy metal anthems. Lynch’s first all-instrumental album, Seamless, appeared in 2021 with drummer Jimmy d’Anda and bassist Eric Loiselle. On its 2023 successor, the propulsive Guitars at the End of the World, he enlisted drummer Curt Bisquera (Elton John, Mick Jagger) and bassist Tony Franklin (Jimmy Page, Kenny Wayne Shepherd).

Beyond recording and touring, Lynch regularly conducts guitar clinics and appears at instrument conventions such as NAMM, and he has created signature guitar models for ESP along with a high-nickel-content string line through Dean Markley.