Dino Jelusick joins Whitesnake

Some absolutely massive news hitting the music scene today: our very own Dina Jelusick (performing as Jelusick) is officially joining the ranks of the legendary Whitesnake! 🙏 It’s honestly wild to think about—this kid first grabbed everyone's attention at just 11 years old when he crushed it at that junior American song contest with a track he actually wrote himself when he was only ten, "You Are My First Love." Now, he is truly living out his wildest dreams. 🙂

Since those early days, he’s evolved into this seasoned rock and metal powerhouse, fronting his own band Animal Drive, performing alongside the iconic Trans-Siberian orchestra, and stacking up awards along the way. He’s actually already broken the ice with the Whitesnake crew, having shared the stage with them about two years ago during their big show in Chicago. 😁

Huge congrats, Dina! 🎉

Index

Honestly, this guy is a total jerk. Someone needs to get Bruno to talk him into giving his take on those tennis finals at the Olympic Games—man, he’s such a die-hard tennis fanatic, probably one of the biggest walking encyclopedias of the sport in the modern era (I actually saw him on some YouTube trivia show once, I think it was the one with Luke from Pursuit and that Beauty and the Genius duo)

Whether people are fans or not, there’s no denying this is a massive moment for him...

This will always be his absolute best track.

Vuco actually claimed he’d cut off his own junk if Dina ever actually made it big. I mean, let’s be real, we’ve heard three hundred of Vucin’s songs, but we've only heard one from Whitesnake... so yeah, Vucin’s manhood is definitely safe.

Sometimes, honestly, it’s just better to be a solid B-list success—someone who actually connects with the masses—rather than trying to be the next big thing like "Vuco."

Does Coverdale even bother singing anymore? Like, can he actually pull off his own hits these days?

Brian Alvarez34 said:Man, this guy is just a total jerk. Honestly, someone needs to get Bruno to sit him down and force him to commentate on the tennis finals at the Olympic Games! He’s such a die-hard follower of the sport, and honestly, he’s probably one of the biggest walking encyclopedias of tennis in the modern era—I actually saw him crushing it on some YouTube trivia show once, I think it was the one featuring Luke from Pursuit and that Beauty and the Genius duo.

What? I had no idea! 😁 I did know he’d performed in some theater productions, though—I think he even took on some singing roles in them. He really is a versatile guy. 👍

Yeah. Does he even have his own signature sound, or is he just basically pigeonholed into that whole "lightweight, catchy pop" category?

Brian Alvarez34 said:Exactly. Doesn't he have his own specific topics to dive into, or is he just strictly reserved for discussing what people call "pop" or lighthearted, catchy music?

I haven't seen anything like that yet. If you happen to stumble upon it, please drop a link! 🙂

rustydrifter10 said:I couldn't find it. If you track it down, send me the link. 🙂

Wait, what? That one? Hah!

Brian Alvarez34 said:Wait, what? Is this actually happening? hah?

I honestly didn't catch the hint regarding Deep Purple. 🙈 I mean, he seemed to get it immediately once he read the question himself, but even after reading through it myself, I'm still totally lost! 🤣

You probably could have filed this under the Whitesnake thread, just so there's a dedicated space to actually hash things out.
Personally, I'm mostly wondering how two lead singers are even going to function within the same band. To be honest, I guess it's all a bit unclear to me.

Andrew Williams23 said:You could've posted this under the Whitesnake thread just to keep the conversation focused.
I just want to know what two singers in one band actually does. Honestly, I don't see how that works.

Backing vocals? They might handle some solos if needed, but otherwise, they'll just be playing the keys.

While Jelusick might be considered a slightly above-average vocalist by some American standards, Coverdale has completely lost the plot with this move. Is he really expecting Jelusick to patch things up on some farewell tour, and then just assume Whitesnake can carry on for another 10 or 15 years with some new kid acting as his successor? I’d probably rank Whitesnake in my top 10 bands, but I think the man has truly lost his mind with these plans. Personally, I find Jelusick's vocals a bit grating—which makes me biased, sure—but even so, I think Coverdale is making a massive mistake here. At some point, you have to face reality: you're 70 years old, you've spent over 40 years in a legendary band, and it's time to wrap things up. Maybe his ego just won't let him let Whitesnake go, so now he's just pushing nonsense. Don't get me wrong, it's cool that an American is part of Whitesnake, but in my opinion, Coverdale is thinking totally irrationally and has completely lost touch with reality.

He was a guest on the podcast

Lyrics and music by: Dina Jelusick

Alexander Adams94 said:Look, even if Jelusick is a pretty solid singer by American standards, Coverdale has totally lost the plot here. What’s the deal? He’s basically using Jelusick to fill in the vocals on some farewell tour, and then he expects Whitesnake to keep rolling for another 10 or 15 years with some new kid acting as his heir? Personally, I find Jelusick's voice a bit grating—so yeah, maybe I'm biased—but honestly, this move feels crazy. At some point, you have to face reality: you're 70 years old, you've been in a massive band for over 40 years, and it might be time to wrap things up. But I guess his ego won't let him retire Whitesnake, so now we get these nonsense plans. I mean, sure, it's cool that an American is part of Whitesnake, but in my opinion, Coverdale's thinking is completely warped. He's just lost it.

I haven't seen anything anywhere suggesting Coverdale wants Whitesnake to carry on without him... Dino is just there providing backing vocals and keys.

Plus, Whitesnake without DC wouldn't even make sense. He *is* Whitesnake. The whole history of the band has basically just been Coverdale plus a rotating door of different musicians.

Maybe once Coverdale finally retires (or, God forbid, passes away), I could see an all-star tribute band made up of former members. Something like how the Dio Disciples formed after RJD passed, or those Thin Lizzy reunions they've done over the last few decades after Phil died.

What do you guys think—do we really think Whitesnake is going to snag a Grammy for Best International Artist just because they teamed up with a DJ?🙄

Morgan Brown4 said:I haven't seen anything suggesting Coverdale would actually want Whitesnake to keep going without him... Dina is just there doing backing vocals and keys.

Besides, Whitesnake without DC doesn't really make sense. He *is* Whitesnake. Looking back at their whole history, the band has basically just been Coverdale plus a revolving door of different musicians.

Maybe after Coverdale retires (or, God forbid, passes away), we might see some sort of all-star tribute band made up of former members. Something like how those Dio Disciples popped up after RJD died, or those Thin Lizzy reunions they've done over the last thirty years after Phil passed.

Personally, I’m pretty sure Coverdale's plan is for Jelusick and the rest to keep the Whitesnake name alive after he hangs it up, just so the money keeps flowing. He might show up here and there at a big stadium show to give the band some street cred, or maybe he'll stick to writing and producing albums while the others handle the singing. That's just my gut feeling.

Coverdale hasn't been able to hit those notes for about ten years now, and you’ve probably finally admitted that yourself. So, his idea is to have Jelusick supplement the vocals so he doesn't have to struggle through parts he can no longer reach.

In my opinion, Jelusick just isn't at the level required for a band like Whitesnake. He might be talented, but compared to the legends in this band, he still feels like an unseasoned kid. The members of Whitesnake are all in the top 15 players of their respective instruments, whereas Jelusick—without wanting to exaggerate—isn't even in the top 30 rock vocalists out there. It sounds a bit cliché by American standards, but in the States, you find plenty of kids who sing hard rock and heavy metal exactly like him.

Ultimately, I think any argument boils down to one thing: Coverdale dragging Whitesnake along into his 70s is just foolish. What will people remember the last Whitesnake album for? That some 30-year-old kid from America was doing the singing? To me, that doesn't fit the image of those classic American hard rock icons.

Basically, I'm hoping they just need a keyboardist with decent backing vocals, and that Jelusick won't have such a prominent role as we've debated here, as if he's going to take over the main choruses. Maybe they just need a new keyboard player who can also handle solid backing vocals, since that isn't exactly a strong suit for the bassist and guitarists.