In a recent interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, Dino Jelusick opened up about the singers who have influenced his musical journey, touching upon the differences between David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio’s singing styles.
Jelusick talked about his broad spectrum of influences, mentioning Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder’s singing styles:
“One of my first influences was Michael Jackson. When I sing percussive stuff, Michael Jackson comes out. When I sing more bluesy, R&B stuff, Stevie Wonder is my guy.”
On the topic of rock, Jelusick credited both Coverdale and Dio as significant influences, revealing the key differences between the two:
“But as far as like rock, David really is my guy. David and Dio are my two, you know. The power of Dio and the bluesiness of David is, if you combine those two, I think that’s the ultimate singer. You put a little bit of soul from Stevie Wonder, a little percussiveness from Michael Jackson, and maybe a little bit of Tom Jones, and you get the best voice ever.”
Jelusick’s association with Whitesnake began when Coverdale welcomed him with open arms in 2021, stating:
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome the extremely gifted Dino Jelusick to Whitesnake. We’ve had our eyes & ears on him since we played Zagreb together 2 years ago. You’re going to love him!”
Jelusick responded to this admiration, stating he had been influenced by Whitesnake and Coverdale from an early age. On joining the band, he said:
“I am beyond honored to be part of one of my favorite bands of all time. To get the phone call from David Coverdale is something every singer and musician of my generation can only dream of; it still feels completely surreal. I cannot wait to start hitting the road with Whitesnake and, as the great DC said to me himself, to give a piece of my identity to the sound of this iconic band.”
After Jelusick’s addition in 2021, Whitesnake transformed into a septet. However, by November of the same year, bassist Michael Devin left, paving the way for Tanya O’Callaghan, the first female member of Whitesnake.
The band’s farewell tour began in May 2022, covering locations such as the UK and Ireland. The tour, however, faced interruptions due to health challenges, with members Tommy Aldridge and Coverdale experiencing illnesses. The setbacks led to the cancellation of several of their tours.
Despite the challenges, Coverdale hinted at resuming the farewell tour and possibly releasing a new album.
Watch the rest of the interview below.
