Submitted Photo Callan and Hudson Dockter play guitar on stage with Reb Beach from Winger, at Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California, on May 3. Photo by Jennifer Dockter.

At just 11 years old, Callan Dockter has already shared the stage with rock legends like Alice Cooper, Tommy Lee and Reb Beach from Winger. On Friday, June 26, the young guitarist will perform with his 14-year-old brother, Hudson Dockter, and take the stage with the band BOOZ-N-TUNA at the Pierce County Fair.

Don Jelsing, president of the Pierce County Fair, said the fair board actively sought to feature the local musician.

Callan Dockter’s rise in the music world runs parallel to his ongoing battle with chronic complex multi-suture craniosynostosis and MED13L haploinsufficiency syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. The medical conditions are complex; he has undergone more surgeries than he has fingers.

Despite the medical challenges, the Dockter family refuses to let the diagnoses slow them down. Callan Dockter’s father, Brandon Dockter, farms at Streeter, about 150 miles from Rugby, while his mother, Jennifer Dockter, runs the business operations of the farm, allowing the family the flexibility to travel whenever rock musicians invite Callan Dockter to perform.

Callan Dockter has been playing guitar since he was 8 years old, after being introduced to music as an infant by his grandfather, Gary Rose.

Callan and Hudson Dockter have spent the last few years performing alongside various rock acts, gaining widespread media attention since 2023.

The family relies heavily on faith and community support to navigate their daily challenges.

“I wake up every day thanking God,” Jennifer Dockter said. “With Callan’s condition, we don’t know when he is going to wake up to darkness.”

The family also expressed gratitude to the local community, specifically Little Flower School and St. Therese Church.

Craig Goldy from the band Dio was Callan’s rock camp counselor last November.

“We want to thank Craig because he keeps in touch and always calls to see how everything is going,” Brandon Dockter said.