Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: June 18th, 2006

Hi Doro. How are you doing this morning?
Very good, this is my first interview this morning. I’m feeling good, and its rock ‘n roll time.

When growing up in Germany, what was the first record you ever owned?
T-Rex’s “Bang A Gong.” I was a big Marc Bolan fan. My very first single I got when I was three years old was Little Richard’s “Lucille.” I fell in love with music at that time.

How about the first concert you ever attended?
It was 1980- Whitesnake, which blew me away. David Coverdale was a great frontman and singer. They were unbelievable and I was hoping all the concerts after that would have the same intensity. That first concert was better then anything that followed.

What kind of kid was Doro in school?
I loved sports and painting the most. There were a lot of good people and I had a lot of friends.

Do you have any tapes of you singing as a child?
I made tapes but they are all gone. I moved so many times I guess they are somewhere and it would be so interesting to hear them. There were no video tapes then but I did have some on cassette.

Was Snakebite your first band?
Yes, Snakebite was a garage band, I would say. We were really good and you can find some of the tracks on the internet. They are bootleg demos and the quality is really bad, but they are out there and the songs are pretty cool.

The first time you sang in front of a big crowd, what was your feeling?
My first actual show was with Snakebite and it was at a punk club. Back then the punk people and the headbangers didn’t get along well. There was this one guy who was totally drunk sitting in front of the stage holding a gun at us, he was pointing it at me the whole concert and no one would dare to take it away from him, but he finally passed out because he had so much alcohol. (Laughing) Before the concert ended all the punk people had enough of our heavy metal shit, took the guitars and equipment from us, and destroyed most of it. So after they destroyed most of the gear they said now you can finish the show so we did. Nothing can shock me anymore.

In 1990, you released Doro produced by Gene Simmons. What was it like working with him?
It was fantastic. I was a big KISS fan, and for me to actually meet him, and sit in the studio for hours and hours with him as you can imagine it was a ‘dream come true.’ He was so intelligent and one of the best producers I ever had. Everyone was highly motivated and it was one of the highlights of my life.

You were also a special guest at the KISS and Hard Rock convention in New Jersey. How was that being there?
(Laughing) Yeah, we did the Dio tour and after the tour we said “Let’s go.” My whole band are big Kiss fans. My drummer, who was the former drummer for Britny Fox, really wanted to go so we drove really fast to get there. But we had fun and it was well worth it.

You did TV, movies, music and even work with an orchestra. Would you ever think of doing theater?
I was never into the theater because I don’t know too much about it. I’ve never been to any plays before.

Do you have other movies coming up after the release of “Anuk – The Warrior’s Way”?
The movie just got finished cutting and I didn’t know that there was so much work to do on a movie. I can’t wait to see it and there is a limited edition trailer of the movie. But yes we will do something in the future; we shook hands and made an agreement to work together again.

With your music career that spanned over 20 years, what time have you had for family?
No time at all. All I have is my mom; I have no kids or a husband I’m married to the band, crew and the fans that is my family. My mom heads the fan club for us and we keep in touch. But I don’t see her very often.

What are your feelings about the many female rockers trying to emulate you now?
I feel honored when I see things coming out of this, and when people are inspired by our music and pick up a guitar and start a band that is a great feeling. That’s very positive and cool to have somebody you like and start your first band. Everybody has heroes like David Coverdale and Judas Priest; it’s good to have inspiration.

Let’s get to the new CD “Warrior Soul”. What song was recorded first for the album?
“You’re My Family”, because that was the most important message to give to my fans.

Were there any songs that were left off the album?
Yeah… we didn’t finish it in time; it was done around Christmas but then we had to wait another two months and more. There were two beautiful songs that we had that we might put on another EP. One is called “Stay” or “Stay With Me” we haven’t decided yet what it will be.

What is your favorite song to sing on the new disc?
It has to be “Warrior Soul” or “Strangers Yesterday”, but I like them all, it depends on my mood. There is one song on the limited edition called “1999” which is a very sad song: it is a political song that has so much soul and heart that I like. That would be the third song I like to sing.

Will you tour the US this year?
Yes we are trying to put the tour together right now but nothing is confirmed.

Doro is still alive and kicking, unlike  many others we have not heard from, like Lita Ford. What still gives you the drive?
Brian, because I love the music and the fans, everyday is a fight to get things done. To get the record out, to go on tour, to do promotion but it’s all worth when you get good feedback from the fans. I guess having a strong fan base is a big part of it. The people know it’s your career and I give it my all and I appreciate it too. When I get someone, who says your concert really touched me... that is my motivation for the next two years.

To this day what is the biggest highlight in your music career?
Working with Gene Simmons is the biggest; we also did two songs with Lemmy and worked with Pete Steele. We also worked with Udo; I was a big Accept fan. I love to do duets with people I admire, also our very first European tour in 1998, with Judas Priest. That was the day I quit my job. I got the call saying we got the tour with Judas Priest and I went straight to my boss and said I quit the job, he said you are so crazy. I said I got to do it, so he said, ‘Good luck.’

What job was that?
I was a graphic artist and it was coming in very handy. I was doing our posters and album covers. I think I just used the job to work for the band.

What are some of the things you ask for on your rider, when you’re on tour?
Big time into the Russian Vodka, we all fell in love with it. Jack Daniels, some sandwiches... we have some vegetarians in the band so it’s a hassle for the promoters to get vegetarian food, but so far so good.

What band did you tour with that you had the most fun with?
I would say Megadeth and W.A.S.P. and my first show with Judas Priest. We also worked with Dio who was one of my biggest influences. All of them were special.

Are you clothes custom made?
Yes all the time. I am pretty tiny so I need them specially made. It looks like leather but it’s made from different materials. I changed my mind about leather because years ago I didn’t want to harm any more animals, so I switched to different materials for my clothes.

Do you live in New York now?
I live in Long Beach in a beautiful apartment which I only moved into. I use to live in Manhattan and moved to New Jersey, now I’m back in New York. It’s really great-I love it. It’s the people and the heart of New York that’s the best. But I would be happy anywhere.

Doro this has been a dream for me just to talk with you. Would you like to say anything to our readers and your fans?
I want to say thank you for all the support for all these years. I will do anything for the fans-that is why we are doing this. I thank them with all my heart. I am looking to see them when we start the tour. Please guys come out and it will be a great show.