DORO Once Again Rules Out Retirement: 'I Wanna Die On Stage'

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, German metal singer Doro Pesch, who formed her previous band WARLOCK nearly four and a half decades ago, was asked if she he has ever contemplated retirement. The 62-year-old musician responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wanna die on stage. It's up to God, whenever He wants me. I do it like [late MOTÖRHEAD icon] Lemmy, to the last day. I don't ever wanna quit. And as long as you feel healthy — that's the only thing. You need to stay in good shape and healthy. That sometimes can hit you one day or the other."

She continued: "My favorite engineer, I worked with him the last 12 years, and suddenly he has a real big [health] problem. And his wife just called me, and she said, 'Doro, you can't work anymore with him.' And he was a boxer and a great tennis player, and he was totally active. And, yeah, and it happened very quick that everything changed. And I hope he will get back to normal, but I don't know. So, yeah, so many people around me I felt, like, oh my God, are getting sick. So I wanna try my best to stay [healthy and active]."

Doro previously ruled out retirement while speaking to Belgian Jasper back in October 2023. She said at the time: "I'm thinking 24 hours about new songs, about the record, about the tour, about festivals. There's no other life. I grew up with horses, and I miss having pets in my life… But to me, I made up my mind when I was 24. I was living for 20, 25 years in Manhattan. One day I woke up and I thought, 'Okay, today I wanna choose my priorities,' and then it was very clear. I wanna live for the music and then nothing else. And then it was okay."

She continued: "I'm so happy that I made that decision, because before I thought, 'Yeah, I wanna have this and I wanna have pets and horses and dogs and maybe I wanna have kids and maybe I wanna have a husband.' But you can't. You have to make a decision, in my case, and that's the reason why I never married. I don't have any kids, but I have all the fans, and I feel like we are a big family. And I always feel so good in each and every country, in each and every city. And that's definitely a dream. Like doing music for such a long time. Oh, I didn't think that we would do it more than five, six, seven years."

In 2009, Doro told Sleaze Roxx that she didn't "believe in retirement. I think I will be on stage until the very end," she said. "I think I will die on stage; it's what I love to do. As long as people come out to the shows I will continue to perform. It doesn't matter if it is five people or five thousand."

On December 11, 2026, just in time for the kickoff of her "Magic Winter" tour, Doro will release "Wild At Heart", a red-hot album packed with killer new tracks.

"Wild At Heart - Special Release (Tour Edition)" is being released on Doro's own label, Rare Diamonds Production (distributed by Edel),and is available in the following formats: digipack with a reversible cover, shaped vinyl, picture vinyl, colored vinyl, box set, digital, and — as a special treat — a liquid-filled vinyl filled with dark red glitter.

Last fall, Doro released "Warriors Of The Sea" via her own label Rare Diamonds Production, distributed by Edel. Besides the strictly limited liquid-filled vinyl version, it was also made available as CD digipak and picture disc vinyl.

The idea for this special release emerged following two sold-out "Metal Queen Metal Cruises" that were a huge success with fans in late May 2025 and early June 2025. Along with a third cruise which took place in June 2026, these events created demand for more music.

The album's title track was written by Doro specifically as an anthem for the cruise and immediately became an absolute fan favorite at summer festivals worldwide. The remaining nine tracks were a carefully curated selection by Doro focusing on "Warriors" and "Cruise" themes. All were rarities perfect for fans, collectors, and metal enthusiasts. Side A featured rare studio recordings, while Side B delivered live tracks recorded during Doro's completely sold-out 2024/2025 tour.

In March 2025, Doro received a lifetime achievement award in her former hometown of Düsseldorf. The award was presented to the singer in a grand, ceremonial setting by Klaus Meine, frontman of the legendary rock band SCORPIONS. The award honored Pesch's groundbreaking career, which began in the 1980s with her band WARLOCK. As one of the first women to break into the male-dominated heavy metal scene, she established herself as a lasting force in the international music industry. With over ten million albums sold and more than 3,500 concerts across 60 countries, the Düsseldorf native is among the most successful female rock musicians of all time.

Doro's latest album, "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", was released in October 2023 via Nuclear Blast.

Photo credit: Frank Durstgoff (courtesy of Palmer Turner Overdrive)