Following his departure from the Chimeras, Doug played with a number of different local musicians in both Phoenix and Tucson.

Robin Johnson's Friday's Angels was one of the last bands Hopkins to play in, playing two shows in Tucson with the group.

Doug also joined the Marc Norman, Brian Blush and P.H Naffah outfit The Eventuals for the group's debut gig at Edcels Attic. Brian, who was inspired to play guitar by Hopkins years earlier, approached him with the request to sit in with the band. After a few rehearsals, the band performed a single gig with Hopkins on guitar, performing songs that Brian and Marc had written in addition to Hopkins material including Hold Me Down and Angels Tonight. The performance was concluded with Doug ramming his guitar through the ceiling of the club.

Around this time, Roger Clyne, fresh out of The Mortals, was putting together a new band and asked Hopkins to sit in with the band. Doug missed the appearance, citing the damage to his instrument suffered at the aforementioned Eventuals gig. Roger took this as a bad sign and made no follow up on. The postscript to this is that Eventuals guitarist Brian Blush, who'd quit music after Doug's death, eventually took up that open lead guitarist position. With former Mortals bandmate Dusty Denham (later to be replaced with Eventuals drummer P.H Naffah), that band, The Refreshments would go on to be the next big thing from Tempe since the Gin Blossoms.

Doug also made a guest appearance with Hans Olson and Dead Hot Workshop, which was to be the last time he would perform on stage.

In the last year of his life, Doug wrote a number of songs, which never saw the light of day. Among these, is a demo tape of songs he gave to Robin Wilson, who subsequently chose not to record.