Whitesnake BiographyGroup formed in 1976 by David Coverdale (lead vocalist; born c. 1947, in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England), Adrian Vandenburg (guitarist), John Sykes (guitarist), Aynsley Dunbar (drummer). Steve Vai temporarily replaced Vandenburg in 1990; subsequently joined the band. Addresses: Record company-- Geffen Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10010; 9130 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069.British heavy metal group Whitesnake has become one of the best-selling acts of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their self-titled 1987 U.S. breakthrough album sold over six million copies, making critics who called them "derivative"--including David Hiltbrand of People