Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own entity, Coverdale is the only constant member throughout their history.
Whitesnake performing in 2022
A newspaper advert for Whitesnake's first UK tour, promoting David Coverdale's second solo album Northwinds (1978)
Whitesnake performing at the 1980 Reading Rock Festival
Bernie Marsden (left) and Micky Moody (right) performing with Whitesnake at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1981
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard rock music was produced by the Kinks, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Cream, Vanilla Fudge, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In the late 1960s, bands such as Blue Cheer, the Jeff Beck Group, Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Golden Earring, Steppenwolf, and Deep Purple also produced hard rock.
Baker, Bruce and Clapton of Cream, whose blues rock improvisation was a major factor in the development of the genre
Led Zeppelin live at Chicago Stadium, January 1975
The Who on stage in 1975
Kiss onstage in Boston in 2004