Gin Blossoms: Tragic Death of Guitarist Doug Hopkins Who Wrote Hey Jealousy & Found Out About Yo

Gin Blossoms: The tragic death of guitarist Doug Hopkins

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#ginblossoms #heyjealousy #doughopkins

I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.

“Let’s face it, Tempe, Arizona., is not exactly a thriving rock ‘n’ roll mecca. It seems more like one of those places that a budding rock band leaves, then later reminisces about for its boring but lovable qualities.”

That's what the LA Times had to say about Gin Blossoms during a 1993 profile they wrote about the group. Gin Blossoms rose to prominence in the early 90’s thanks to their second and third records which sold quite well, but it was a miracle that the band even released their second and breakout album New Miserable experience. By the end of the recording sessions the band would lose one of their key members guitarist Doug Hopkins whose life would end tragically just as his old band was finding fame.. Today lets talk about the life and death of the guitarist.

Gin Blossoms born and raised on R.E.M., Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, and the Replacements, which offered a stark contrast to the other popular bands of the early 90’s who were fed a healthy diet of punk rock, metal and bands like The Pixies. Gin Blossoms married joyful sounding melodies with young adult anxieties. Hailing from Tempe Arizona, Gin Blossoms first formed thanks to a Tower Records store in the city, where frontman Robin Wilson and bassist Bill Leen both worked. The band formed in 1987, and the first solid lineup consisted of Wilson, Leen, guitarists Jesse Valenzuela, ad Doug Hopkins, as well as drummer Phillip Rhodes.

While the band should’ve been celebrating, guitarist Doug Hopkins was not. Having suffered from severe depression from a young age he was against signing with a major label feeling pressure to deliver and also feeling like someone else’s property. His drinking would only escalate once the band signed wa smajor recording contract.. According to Rolling Stone he frequently showed up intoxicated at gigs, while band practices resulted in verbal screaming machines.

The band first convened in Los Angeles in 1991 to record their major label debut but it was a complete disaster. The band spent close to $100,000 and had nothing to show for it and were almost dropped by their label.

Singer Robin Wilson would tell Rolling Stone ,“We were a fragile mess. We were all just treading water trying to make the record. We knew this was our last chance. It was an intense experience on every level.”
During a a separate interview with billboard magazine he also credited the band’s label with helping turn things around letting the band release an EP instead, and touring a bit revealing “they gave us a chance to succeed or fail to learn about the studio and toughen up”. The band in the mean time recorded the EP Up and Crumbling, which came out in 1991.

As the band attempted to take a second stab at their first LP for A&M they chose a different producer and location recording New Miserable Experience in Memphis. That’s not to say the experience was perfect because it was anything but. The band soon started running into problems with Hopkins with Wilson telling the LA Times in 1996

“It’s just a sad thing when you’ve got somebody you love, [and] you’re just watching them destroy themselves before your eyes and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. And it’s all happening while you’re making the most important record you’ve ever made in your life.”

Wilson remembered that one incident that showed how checked out Doug was saying
“I came into the studio and Doug was in there with John, and I heard John say, ‘Well, someone is going to have to do these solos.’ Doug said, ‘I guess I’d rather Jesse do my solos.’ I was just floored. I could not believe that was something tha

But there was one solo that Hopkins did play on and .

Sources:

https://www.latimes.com/archiv....es/la-xpm-1993-05-08

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Hopkins

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.co....m/music/20-years-ago

https://www.latimes.com/archiv....es/la-xpm-1996-03-31

https://www.rollingstone.com/m....usic/music-features/

https://variety.com/1993/music..../news/rock-guitarist