Don Dokken recently addressed speculation about a potential Dokken reunion tour. He revealed specific financial details about what it would take to make it happen in an interview with The Classic Metal Show.
The discussion arose when Dokken was asked about the proposed reunion plans that have been circulating for next year.
When asked “What’s going on with this proposed dock and reunion for next year? Anything you could comment there if anything at all?”, Dokken clarified his position on the matter.
“I don’t know anything about it. I’ve heard about it. George [Lynch] was talking about it and I really honestly I never knew anything about it,” Dokken said. “George and I have never spoken about a reunion tour on the phone. Nothing. George was talking about it. His managers called my manager said, ‘You want to do it?’ I said, ‘I consider it if the money was right.’ Even John was saying, you know, for a million bucks, go out and do it.”
Dokken then revealed his specific asking price and reasoning behind it.
“And I said, ‘George, give me a million bucks and I’ll do it.’ That’s cheap, right? That’s 50 a show, you know. That’s not much for 50 shows, right?” he continued. “And it would have to be done like maybe a lot of bands unfortunately have to do. You look at Mötley and the Poison, there’s a lot of bands out there that have separate tour buses because they can be a band, but they can’t hang with each other because their personalities are too radically different. So, I wish I would have thought of that in ’88.”
The current reunion speculation comes amid a complex history of attempts to bring the original Dokken lineup back together. These attempts have had varying degrees of success and internal conflict.
Metal Wani reported that the band’s most recent reunion attempt occurred during a fall 2016 Japanese tour. The tour reunited Jeff Pilson with Don Dokken, George Lynch, and Mick Brown. Although fans were eager to see the original lineup share the stage again, the tour highlighted the ongoing tensions within the group.
The relationship between Dokken and Lynch has remained particularly strained over the years. Loaded Radio noted that Lynch has compared Don Dokken to Donald Trump in what has been described as a brutal assessment of their working relationship. Lynch has stated there is no current plan for a reunion EP unless it includes a full touring commitment. He occasionally still performs Dokken songs in his other projects.
The depth of the band’s internal conflicts was further revealed in Dokken’s interview. The Classic Metal Show captured his detailed account of what he called “absolute degenerate chaos involving George Lynch and Jeff Pilson” that has made past reunions impossible. This candid admission sheds light on why previous attempts at reconciliation have failed despite fan demand.
Despite these challenges, the financial framework Dokken has outlined suggests he remains open to the possibility under the right circumstances. His million-dollar asking price breaks down to $50,000 per show over 50 dates. This reflects both the commercial potential of a reunion tour and the premium required to overcome the band’s well-documented personal differences.
The comments suggest that while a reunion remains possible, significant logistical and financial arrangements would need to be made first.
