Acclaimed guitarist Joel Hoekstra has opened up about his early struggles in a new interview with Guitar World.

Hoekstra, best known for his work with Whitesnake and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, was asked what piece of advice he would give to his younger self if he could travel back in time.

He responded, "We were poor, quite frankly.

We had no money.

We grew up in a blue-collar area, the suburbs of Chicago, where none of this was supposed to happen for me, like literally none." Hoekstra reflected on how hard it was to make a living playing music, saying, "If you're getting into music to make money, man, you have a hole in your head...

It's like anything can happen at any point in time.

So just that it's possible through hard work." The guitarist will release his fourth album with Joel Hoekstra's 13 on February 27 via Frontiers Music Srl., The album sees Hoekstra joined by an elite cast of rock veterans, including Vinny Appice and Tony Franklin.

Hoekstra is also known for his fill-in work with Foreigner and his annual sets on the Monsters Of Rock cruise.