Back in July 2019, Dokken frontman Don Dokken talked with The Classic Metal Show about the status of drummer “Wild” Mick Brown, who had been with the band for over 40 years .During some of the concerts by the band at that time, House Of Lords’ BJ Zampa had been behind the kit.
Don explained the situation saying, "I think he's done. He's retiring, basically. It hit me very suddenly. We were actually on tour, I don't know, a month and a half, two months ago. I remember, we were at the airport, and we were getting on yet another freakin' plane flight, like we do four or five times a week, and he pulled me aside and he says, 'Bro, I can't do it anymore.' And I said, 'What's the matter?' And he said, 'No, I can't do it anymore. I can't do this. I can't keep flying and playing and staying in hotels and playing drums.' And I said, 'Is it a money thing? Or is it just the travel? We can cut the shows back. We can do less shows.' And he said, 'No. I just can't do it, man.' And he made a point. He said, 'Look, I started playing drums at 10 years old, and I'm 62.' He goes, 'I'm just worn out.'"
Now, Mick's younger brother and Tesla drummer Steve Brown, spoke with Chaotic Riffs and talked about his Mick's decision to retire.
Steve: "I wasn't surprised that he had decided to retire; I just didn't think he was gonna stick with it forever. A couple of years later, I told my wife, 'Let's go down and see him, see what's going on down there...' and he was great. He was in the best possible mindset I've ever seen him in, and I thought, 'Well, there you go.' And soon after that he sold every piece of drum gear, everything he owns. All of his friends that I run into out here, they're just like 'He really retired?' He doesn't even have drums. He doesn't even have drum sticks (laughs)."
Mick Brown recorded 10 of 11 studio albums with Dokken between 1981 and 2008.
