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The Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers are an American rock group. They have sold over 22 million albums in the United States from the 1970s to the present. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

Original incarnation

In 1969, singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman formed the nucleus of what would become The Doobie Brothers. Skip Spence of Moby Grape (and formerly of Jefferson Airplane) introduced them to one another after Hartman arrived in California determined to meet Spence and join an aborted Grape reunion. New bandmates Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group Pud and experimented with different lineups (occasionally in the lineups was Spence) and styles as they performed in and around San Jose. They were mostly a power trio (along with bassist Greg Murphy) but briefly worked with a horn section. In 1970, they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups (among them was the band "Scratch", which was an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porter) and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B strumming. In a recent interview, Tom Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who noted the guys' fondness for "doobies." They considered the new moniker an improvement over Pud.

The Doobie Brothers honed their chops by performing live all over Northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and scored a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the rustic Chateau Liberte' in the Santa Cruz Mountains. An energetic set of demos (some of which were briefly released on Pickwick Records in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers), showcased fuzz-toned dual lead electric guitars, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the rock group a contract at Warner Bros. Records.

At this point in their history, the band's image reflected that of their biggest fans - leather jackets and motorcycles. However, the group's 1971 self-titled debut album departed significantly from that image and their live sound of the period. The album, which failed to chart, emphasized acoustic guitars and frequently reflected country influences. The bouncy lead-off song "Nobody," the band's first single, has surfaced in their live set several times over the ensuing decades.

The following year's second album, Toulouse Street (which spawned the hits, and classic rock staples, "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright"), brought the band their breakthrough success. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman and engineer Donn Landee, the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. They also made changes to the line-up. First, they supplemented Hartman's drumming with that of Navy veteran Michael Hossack,Who contracted the Doobie Brothers name from a shipmate who used the phrase when he entered the midship radioroom aboard the Uss Independece and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke of a distinct odor. The two entered into an agreement for the use of the name but for some reason the agreement was not honored leaving the band to claim the name for themselves. While still touring behind their first album, (A concert from June 14, 1971 at the Fillmore West bears this out, as it has this short-lived lineup). Also, the band recorded several songs on their second album with Shogren on bass, guitar & background vocals. While recording the second album Shogren left after disagreements with producer Templeman. Shogren was replaced with singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tiran Porter. Porter and Hossack were both stalwarts of the northern California music scene, Porter having previously played in Scratch with Simmons. Porter brought a funkier bass style to the band and added his husky baritone to the voices of Johnston and Simmons, resulting in a rich three part harmonic vocal blend. Pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat contributed keyboards for the first time, beginning a decades-long collaboration that included many recording sessions and even a two-week stint with the touring band in 1974. With an improved rhythm section and the songwriting of Johnston and Simmons, the Doobies' trademark sound - an amalgam of R&B, country, bluegrass, hard rock, roadhouse boogie, and rock and roll - emerged fully formed.

A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove," from the 1973 album The Captain and Me. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup, "Without You," for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would sometimes stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert featured one such epic performance of the tune.

In the midst of recording sessions for their next album, 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, Hossack abruptly departed the band citing burnout from constant touring. Drummer, songwriter and vocalist Keith Knudsen (who previously drummed for Lee Michaels of "Do You Know What I Mean" fame) was recruited promptly and left with the Doobies on a major tour within days of joining in September of 1973. (Hossack subsequently replaced Knudsen in the band Bonaroo, which served as an opening act for the Doobies shortly thereafter.) Both Hossack's drums and Knudsen's voice are heard on Vices.

In 1974, Steely Dan co-lead guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter learned that his band was retiring from the road and that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker intended to work almost exclusively with session players in the future. In need of a steady gig, he segued into the Doobie Brothers as third lead guitarist in the middle of their current tour. He had previously worked with the band in the studio, adding pedal steel guitar to both Captain ("South City Midnight Lady") and Vices ("Black Water," "Tell Me What You Want") and had already been playing with the band as a "special guest" during that year's tour.

Vices included the band's first #1 single: Simmons' signature tune "Black Water." "Black Water," which featured the memorable refrain, "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand," climbed to the top of the charts in 1975 and eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. Johnston's lyrical "Another Park, Another Sunday" (as a single, it featured "Black Water" as the B-side) and his horn-driven funk song "Eyes of Silver" had also charted at #32 & #52, respectively, the previous year.

During this period and for several subsequent tours, the Doobies were often supported on-stage by Stax Records legends The Memphis Horns. Live recordings with the horn section have aired on radio on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, though none has been officially released. They also appeared as session players on multiple Doobies albums.

Michael McDonald years

By the end of 1974, Johnston's health was suffering from the rigors of the road. He was absent when the band joined the Beach Boys, Chicago and Olivia Newton-John on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve" that December. By then, the western-themed Stampede had been completed for release in 1975. It featured yet another hit single, Johnston's cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland-written Motown hit "Take Me in Your Arms" (originally sung by Kim Weston and also covered by Blood, Sweat, and Tears). The song included a distinctive Baxter guitar solo. Simmons contributed the atmospheric "I Cheat the Hangman," as well as "Neal's Fandango," an ode to Santa Cruz, Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady. Ry Cooder added his slinky slide guitar to Johnston's cowboy song, "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues".

By the start of the Spring 1975 promotional tour for Stampede, Johnston's condition was so precarious that he required emergency hospitalization for a bleeding ulcer. With Johnston convalescing and the tour already underway, Baxter proposed recruiting a fellow Steely Dan alum to fill the hole: singer, songwriter and keyboardist Michael McDonald. Simmons, Knudsen, Porter and McDonald divvied up and sang Johnston's parts on tour while Simmons and Baxter shared lead guitar chores.

Under contract to release another album in 1976, the Doobies were at a crossroads. Their primary songwriter and singer remained unavailable, so they turned to McDonald and Porter for material to supplement that of Simmons. The resulting LP, Takin' It to the Streets, debuted a radical change in their sound. Electric guitar-based rock and roll gave way to blue-eyed soul and soft rock emphasizing keyboards and horns. Baxter contributed jazz-inflected guitar stylings reminiscent of Steely Dan, along with more emphasis on minor chords throughout many of the song's inner melodies. Above all, McDonald's voice became the band's new signature sound. Takin' It to the Streets featured McDonald's title track and "It Keeps You Runnin'," both hits, ("It Keeps You Runnin'" would be covered by Carly Simon appearing on her album Another Passenger, with the Doobies backing her). Bassist Porter wrote and sang a tribute to the absent Johnston, entitled "For Someone Special." A greatest hits compilation, Best of the Doobies, followed before year's end. (In 1996, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Best of the Doobies "Diamond" for sales in excess of ten million.)

Their new sound was further refined and McDonald's dominant role cemented with 1977's Livin' on the Fault Line. It featured a cover of the Motown classic "Little Darlin' (I Need You)," "Echoes Of Love" (written for, but not recorded by Al Green, by James Mitchell, then of the Memphis Horns, and Earl Randle, both of whom had worked with Green a good bit, to which Simmons added some music and lyrics, co-writing the finished version with Mitchell and Randle, the song was later covered by the Pointer Sisters), and "You Belong To Me" (co-written by McDonald and Carly Simon, who had a hit with her own version of the tune). To help promote Fault Line, the band performed live on the PBS show Soundstage and appeared as themselves in a two-part episode of the television comedy What's Happening!!. This album is a shimmering, nearly seamless masterpiece, perhaps the most musically sophisticated and richest in the Doobies' history. Jeff Baxter used an early type of guitar synthesizer (made by Roland) on many of the tracks (it is heavily featured in his solo on the title track, as well as on "Chinatown"). There are also wonderful overall band and vocal arrangements and some absolutely superb horn and string arrangements by David Paich that augment the band's great playing. In addition, it featured even more use of minor chords, as often used in jazz. Unlike many pop/rock groups that utilize minor chords for their dark and foreboding feel, the Doobies managed to temper that with strong pop hooks, resulting in an album that, though not really jazz, had much of the feel of the "cool jazz" era in a pop setting.

Both Streets and Fault Line reflected Tom Johnston's diminished role in the group following his illness. Restored to fitness and briefly back in the fold, he contributed one original song to Streets, ("Turn It Loose"), and also added a vocal cameo to Simmons' tune "Wheels of Fortune." He also made live appearances with the band in 1976 (documented in a concert filmed that year at the Winterland in San Francisco, excerpts from which appear occasionally on VH1 Classic), but was sidelined once again in the fall due to exhaustion. None of Johnston's songs appeared on Fault Line, though he had written and the band had recorded five of his compositions for the album. Finally, before Fault Line was released, Johnston had his songs removed and he left the band that he co-founded (though he received credit for guitars and vocals and was pictured on the album's inner sleeve band photo). He embarked on a solo career that eventually yielded one modestly successful Warner Brothers album Everything You've Heard is True (1979) and the less successful Still Feels Good (1981).

During the period of transition, the band also elevated former roadie Bobby LaKind to onstage vocalist and percussionist. In the studio, LaKind first contributed percussion to Streets. He had joined the road crew in 1974.

After almost a decade on the road, and with seven albums under their belts, the Doobies' career unexpectedly soared with the success of their next album, 1978's Minute by Minute. It spent five weeks at the top of the music charts and dominated several radio formats for the better part of two years. McDonald's song "What a Fool Believes," written with Kenny Loggins, was the band's second #1 single and earned the songwriting duo a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The breezy, McDonald-penned title song received the Grammy for Pop Vocal Performance by a Group and the album was honored with an Album of the Year nod. Among the other memorable songs on the album were "Here to Love You," "Dependin' On You" (co-written by McDonald and Simmons), "Steamer Lane Breakdown" (a Simmons bluegrass instrumental) and McDonald's "How Do the Fools Survive?" (which featured a lengthy guitar coda improvised by Baxter in a single take, according to a 1980 interview in Guitar Player Magazine). Nicolette Larson (whose best-known hit was "Lotta Love") and departed former bandleader Johnston contributed guest vocals on the album.

The triumph of Minute by Minute was bittersweet, however, because it coincided with the near-dissolution of the band. The pressure of touring while recording and releasing an album each year had worn the members down. Jeff Baxter and Michael McDonald had been in the midst of a creative conflict for some time. McDonald desired a simple, polished rock/R&B sound while Baxter insisted on embellishing guitar parts in an increasingly avant garde style. (Both McDonald and Baxter elaborated on the matter in the documentary series Behind the Music, which aired on VH1 in February 2001.) Just as Minute by Minute's monumental success had become apparent, founding drummer Hartman, longtime guitarist Baxter and LaKind exited through the revolving door. A two-song set on the January 27th, 1979 broadcast of Saturday Night Live (with guest host Michael Palin ) marked the final television appearance of this lineup, and a brief tour of Japan marked the last live performances of the band in its middle-period configuration. (Hartman subsequently joined Johnston's touring band in 1979 and taped an appearance with Johnston that aired on Soundstage in 1980.)

With the surprise smash album embedded in the charts and more money to be earned on the road, the remaining Doobies (Simmons, Knudsen, McDonald and Porter) decided to forge ahead. In 1979, Hartman was replaced by ace session drummer Chet McCracken, and Baxter by multi-instrumental string player John McFee (late of Huey Lewis' early band Clover); Cornelius Bumpus was also recruited to add vocals, keyboards and saxophone to the line-up. This line-up toured throughout 1979, including stops at Madison Square Garden and New York City's Central Park for the No Nukes benefit shows with like-minded artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen and John Hall.

1980 marked the return of LaKind to the lineup as a full member and the Doobies released their ninth studio album, entitled One Step Closer. The LP featured the hit title track and the Top Ten smash "Real Love" (not to be confused with the John Lennon composition) but did not dominate the charts and the radio as Minute by Minute had two years earlier, largely due to an oversaturation of the "McDonald sound" by many other artists (such as Robbie Dupree's hit "Steal Away", which copied the "McDonald sound" nearly note for note) heard on the radio at that time. The album itself was also musically far weaker than the previous three with the band itself sounding tired and seemingly little more than McDonald's "backup band" by then (according to contemporary references at that time). Long frustrated with the realities of relentless touring and yearning for a stable home life, as well as battling self-admitted problems with cocaine, Porter left the band after the recording of Closer. Renowned session bassist Willie Weeks joined up and the Doobies continued touring throughout 1980 and 1981. (Post-Doobies, Weeks has performed with the Gregg Allman Band, Eric Clapton and many others.) Also during this tour, session vet Andy Newmark stepped in briefly for Knudsen, who was in rehab then.

By the end of 1981, even Simmons had resigned from the band. Now faced with the prospect of calling themselves "The Doobie Brothers" with no remaining original members, a sound that was light years away from their original version and a "leader" in McDonald that was ready for a solo career, the group elected instead to disband, and even this wasn't decided upon until after a rehearsal done without Simmons, in a vain attempt to keep the band going, according to an interview with McDonald for "Listen To The Music," the Doobie Brothers official video history/documentary released in 1989. He went on to say in that interview that at that point they couldn't have gotten further away from the Doobies sound if they had tried to. The reluctant Simmons, already hard at work on his first solo album, rejoined for a 1982 farewell tour on the promise that this truly would be the end. At their last concert at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, they were joined onstage by founder Tom Johnston for what was presumed to be the final rendition of his staple, "China Grove." Former members Porter, Hossack and Hartman subsequently took the stage for an extended version of "Listen to the Music." Knudsen sang while Simmons, Johnston and McFee traded licks on guitar. Of all the members through the years, only Shogren was absent when the group took its "final" bow. The live album Farewell Tour followed in 1983.

Reunion years and beyond

The Doobies hibernated for the next five years with various members getting together in different configurations for annual Christmas season performances for the patients and staff at the Stanford Children's Hospital in the Bay area. Simmons released a fine but commercially disappointing solo album, Arcade, in 1983. During the mid-80s, Johnston toured U.S. clubs with a band called Border Patrol, which did not release any recordings. Hossack and (briefly) Simmons worked with the group. Around 1986 Johnston and Simmons began working on an album together (according to a 1989 interview with Simmons), but abandoned the project soon after with no known finished tracks. Knudsen and McFee formed Southern Pacific and recorded four albums that found success in the country charts. (Former Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook would join the band in 1986 and former Pablo Cruise guitarist David Jenkins in 1988.) Out of print for decades, Arcade was reissued on compact disc in early 2007 by specialty label Wounded Bird Records, which is also the home of Southern Pacific's and Tom Johnston's catalogs. Post-Doobies, McDonald became established as a solo artist. His voice dominated adult contemporary radio throughout the eighties, though his star faded in the nineties. He has experienced a renaissance of popularity in the new century as an interpreter of Motown classics.

Doobie Brothers in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, on August 31, 2006.

The reformation of the Doobies was scarcely premeditated. On a personal quest for a worthy cause, Knudsen had become active in Vietnam veterans' affairs. Early in 1987, he persuaded eleven of the Doobie alumni to join him for a concert to benefit veterans' causes. Answering the call were Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, Jeff Baxter, John McFee, John Hartman, Michael Hossack, Chet McCracken, Michael McDonald, Cornelius Bumpus, Bobby LaKind and Tiran Porter. There were no surplus bass players as Weeks had other commitments and long-absent Shogren reportedly was not invited. They soon discovered that tickets were in great demand, so the one concert quickly evolved into a twelve city tour. This expanded lineup was able to perform selections from every album using a smorgasbord of instrumentation that they could not have previously duplicated onstage. Baxter and McFee played pedal steel and fiddle, respectively, during "Black Water" and "Steamer Lane Breakdown." "Without You" featured no fewer than four drummers and four lead guitarists. Producer Templeman, a musician in his own right, banged percussion and LaKind sometimes played Knudsen's trap set while the latter came to the front of the stage to join the chorus. The tour culminated (sans McDonald, McFee and Knudsen) at the glasnost-inspired July 4th "Peace Concert" in Moscow, with Bonnie Raitt , James Taylor and Santana sharing the bill. Excerpts appearing later that year on the Showtime cable network included a performance of "China Grove."

The successful reunion sparked discussions about reconstituting the band on a permanent basis. They eventually decided to replicate the Toulouse Street/Captain and Me incarnation, settling on a line-up featuring Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter and Hossack plus more recent addition LaKind and released Cycles on Capitol Records in 1989. It featured a Top Ten single, "The Doctor," which showcased Johnston's unmistakable voice and soaring lead guitar, and reminded listeners of the band's pre-McDonald triumphs, which was natural, given the lineup of the band at this time. The song is very similar to "China Grove" and the connection is further enhanced by guest Bill Payne's tinkling piano. There was more strong material on the album, including Johnston's "South Of The Border", Simmons' "Take Me To The Highway", a great version of the Isley Brothers' "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and perhaps the best version ever done of the Four Tops classic, "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison"), which had been covered by Santana years before. Cycles proved a successful, strong and very solid comeback album and was certified gold. Bumpus also participated on the 1989 tour, adding his distinctive voice, keyboards, saxophone and flute to the proceedings. His presence bridged the gap between the current band and the McDonald era; he sang lead vocals on the song "One Step Closer" (as he originally had on the 1980 album) while Simmons took McDonald's part. The group was further augmented on the 1989 tour by Dale Ockerman (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Richard Bryant (vocals, percussion) and Jimi Fox (percussion, backing vocals). Due to illness, LaKind stepped down before the tour.

The success of Cycles led to the release of 1991's Brotherhood, also on Capitol. The group members grew their hair back out, donned denim and leather, and attempted to revive their biker image of 1970. In spite of the makeover and strong material led by Simmons' now trademark "Dangerous" (featured in the Brian Bosworth film vehicle, Stone Cold), Brotherhood was unsuccessful, in part due to a lack of support on the part of Capitol Records. It still stands as one of the Doobies' best albums, with possibly the best single album collection of songs from the "Johnston era" band lineup since "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits". The accompanying tour (with the 1989 lineup sans Bumpus) was ranked among the ten least profitable tours of the disappointing 1991 summer season by the North American Concert Promoters Association, according to an article published in Billboard Magazine on December 14th of that year. The 1987 Doobie alumni band reunited on October 17th and 19th, 1992 at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California to perform benefit shows for LaKind's children. Noticeably frail, LaKind, who was terminally ill with cancer, nevertheless joined the group on percussion for a few numbers. The concerts were recorded and subsequently broadcast on the Superstars in Concert radio series accompanied by a plea for contributions to the LaKind family fund. LaKind passed away on Christmas Eve the same year.

A brief period of hiatus followed during which Simmons collaborated with bassist and songwriter John Cowan (ex-New Grass Revival), Rusty Young (of Poco) and Bill Lloyd (of Foster & Lloyd) on an unreleased project called Four Wheel Drive, under the group name "The Sky Kings." When the band emerged yet again in 1993, Hartman and Porter were gone for good but former members Keith Knudsen and John McFee had rejoined on a full-time basis. Joined by Ockerman, Bumpus and former member Willie Weeks, the group toured with Four Wheel Drive as the opening act. After Weeks left the tour to resume his session work, Cowan played bass for both bands. Bumpus also left (to join the reunited Steely Dan), giving way to saxophonist, keyboardist and harmonica player Danny Hull. Alum Chet McCracken temporarily filled in for an injured Hossack in July 1993. The 1993 and 1994 tours included co-headlining appearances with Foreigner.

Tiran Porter still performs in and around northern California, occasionally with Moby Grape and regularly with Stormin' Norman and the Cyclones and the Beatles tribute band the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble. His only solo album, the self-produced Playing to an Empty House, has become a collector's item.

With renewed energy, the band began to experiment with different arrangements of several tunes. They even sampled McDonald's songbook from time to time, eventually restoring "Takin' it to the Streets" to the set on a semi-permanent basis with Simmons and new bassist Skylark (who joined in 1995) subbing for McDonald on vocals.

The band has toured incessantly since 1993. In 1995, they reunited with McDonald for a brief co-headlining tour with the Steve Miller Band. The "Dreams Come True" tour featured all three primary songwriters and singers and reflected all phases of the band's career. Cornelius Bumpus joined the 1995 tour, with Chet McCracken replacing the absent Knudsen and Bernie Chiaravalle sitting in for John McFee. A 1996 double live album, Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert, featured guest star McDonald on three of his signature tunes. McDonald remains an occasional "special guest" and has joined the group for benefits, private corporate shows and parties (such as the wedding reception of Liza Minnelli and David Gest), as well. Baxter has also sat in with the band during concerts, and the band have stated that they have an "open door" policy for guest appearances by former members.

Keyboardist Guy Allison (ex-Moody Blues and Air Supply) replaced Dale Ockerman in 1996. Marc Russo (ex-Yellow Jackets) joined in early 1998, replacing Danny Hull. A serious motorbike mishap sidelined Hossack from mid-2001 to 2002. Drummer/percussionist M. B. Gordy was recruited to play drums during Hossack's absence, and remained on percussion until 2005. Ed Wynne substituted for Russo briefly in 2002.

In the late 1990s, the current band was forced to obtain an injunction preventing confusing or misleading uses of the "Doobie Brothers" moniker in advertisements promoting a tribute band featuring former members McCracken, Bumpus and Shogren accompanied by several lesser known musicians. Unfortunately, this unpleasant episode appeared to have burned bridges between the band and the aforementioned former members (of whom only McCracken survives today).

In 1999, Rhino Records released the group's first box set, entitled Long Train Runnin': 1970-2000. The box featured remastered tunes from the band's entire catalog, a new studio recording of the live concert staple "Little Bitty Pretty One," and an entire disc of previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings. Rhino's 2000 release, Sibling Rivalry, offered the band's first new studio album in nine years. The material, which reflected significant contributions from both Knudsen and McFee, ranged from rock to hip-hop, jazz to adult contemporary, and even country. The album sold poorly, reflecting the declining sales throughout the adult-oriented rock musical scene. The band and some of its supporters felt it did not find the large audience it deserved. Others found the album to be musically and lyrically weak and unfocused, lacking in solid songwriting or inspired playing, this in part perhaps due to the fact that the band tried to accommodate every member with a songwriting credit, & in some cases, lead singing, (such as John McFee or Keith Knudsen attempting to sing lead vocals on some songs). Perhaps a less democratically oriented musical approach would have resulted in a better album, instead of the unfocused, "scattershot" attempt that was released. In an online interview at the time, even Tom Johnston had reservations regarding the democratic way they did the album and the final result that they got, saying in effect, that they needed someone to take control of the album.

To date, four members of the Doobies family are deceased: percussionist LaKind in 1992 following his lengthy struggle with cancer; original bassist Shogren of unreported causes in 1999; and Bumpus of a heart attack in 2004 while in the air on route to California for a solo tour. Drummer and activist Keith Knudsen died in 2005 of cancer and chronic pneumonia. Former Vertical Horizon drummer Ed Toth was selected to fill Knudsen's drum seat as the band soldiered on.

Johnston was forced to miss several shows in the summer of 2007 following an operation for a throat ailment. Upon his return, he received vocal assistance from Simmons and McFee on certain tunes that he had traditionally sung in their entirety. The Doobies have announced plans to reunite with long-time producer Ted Templeman for a new album in 2008, which will hopefully get them out of the rut that befalls far too many "classic rock" performers; that being amounting to little more than a touring "greatest hits jukebox" to ever more diminishing returns. They have also announced plans to release a DVD compilation of live performances and television appearances from throughout the group's long career.

Given the history of turnover, the current version of the band has proven to be remarkably stable in its core membership since 1993. It features one-half of the four original members - Johnston (1970-1977, 1987-present) and ever-present Simmons (1970-present, with only a brief hiatus in late 1981-early 1982) - plus veteran drummer Hossack (1971-1973, 1987-present) and longtime guitarist McFee (1979-1982, 1987, 1992-present). They are supported by Skylark on bass and vocals (joined 1995, replacing Cowan), keyboardist Guy Allison (joined 1996, replacing Dale Ockerman), and Marc Russo on saxophone (joined 1998, replacing Danny Hull). With Hossack, newest member Toth (joined 2005) keeps the trademark double-drummers driven sound going. The group continues to tour heavily and remains a popular concert draw. From 2005 through 2007 they headlined benefit concerts at manager Cohn's B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen (once again sharing the stage with "special guest" McDonald in 2006). They have maintained a continuous and active presence on the Internet through their official website since 1996.

The Doobie Brothers have been eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1996 but have yet to be nominated.

Band

The Doobie Brothers Band Members (By Year)

1970 - 1971	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Dave Shogren - bass, guitar, backing vocals John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1971 - 1972	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Dave Shogren- bass, guitar, backing vocals Michael Hossack - drums John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1972 - 1973	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1973 - 1974	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1974 - 1975	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars, backing vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1975 - 1977	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals(missed most of 1975 tour and the fall 1976 tour) Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars, backing vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals
1977 - 1979	Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars, backing vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals Bobby LaKind - percussion, backing vocals
1979 - 1980	Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Chet McCracken - drums, percussion Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
1980 - 1982	Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Willie Weeks - bass, backing vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Chet McCracken - drums, percussion Bobby LaKind - percussion, backing vocals Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
1982 - 1987	Band Split
1987(plus October 1992)	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - guitars, backing vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion. backing vocals Chet McCracken - drums, percussion Bobby LaKind - percussion, backing vocals Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
1988 - 1989	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals Bobby LaKind - percussion, backing vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
1989 - 1990	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, vocals Jimi Fox - percussion, backing vocals Richard Bryant - percussion, vocals Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, keyboards, flute, vocals
1990 - 1991	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Jimi Fox - percussion, backing vocals Richard Bryant - percussion, vocals
1991 - 1992	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Tiran Porter - bass, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion John Hartman - drums, percussion, backing vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
1993	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Willie Weeks - bass, backing vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
1993 - 1995	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals John Cowan - bass, backing vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Danny Hull - saxophone, harmonica, keyboards, backing vocals
1995	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals Michael McDonald - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals Bernie Chiravalle - guitar, backing vocals Chet McCracken - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Dale Ockerman - keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals
1996 - 1998	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Danny Hull - saxophone, harmonica, keyboards, backing vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals
1998 - 2001	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals Marc Russo - saxophone
2001 - 2002	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals M. B. Gordy - drums, percussion Marc Russo - saxophone
2002	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals M. B. Gordy - drums, percussion Ed Wynne - saxophone
2002 - 2005	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Keith Knudsen - drums, percussion, vocals Skylark - bass, vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals M. B. Gordy - drums, percussion Marc Russo - saxophone
2005 - Present	Tom Johnston - guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals Patrick Simmons - guitars, banjo, flute, vocals John McFee - guitars, violin, vocals Michael Hossack - drums, percussion Skylark - bass, vocals Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals Ed Toth - drums, percussion Marc Russo - saxophone

Substitutes/Guests

• Michael McDonald — keyboards/synthesizers/Vocals 1992 (two shows), 1995 tour (as a special guest) (McDonald still appears as a guest at certain shows on occasion)
• Chet McCracken — drums/percussion 1993 (filled in for Hossack in July), 1995 (filled in for Knudsen)
• Andy Newmark - drums, percussion (subbed for Knudsen in 1981)
• Bernie Chiaravalle — guitar/backing vocals (1995 tour)
• Bill Payne — keyboards (early 1974, toured with the group for a short period)
• Ed Wynne — saxophone (2002) (filled in for Russo)

The Memphis Horns

• Wayne Jackson — trumpet
• Andrew Love — saxophone
• Lewis Collins — saxophone
• Jack Hale — trombone/trumpet/French horn
• James Mitchell — baritone saxophone

Discography

See The Doobie Brothers discography

See also

• Best selling music artists

External links

• The Doobie Brothers official site
• 'The Doobie Brothers' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
• A Doobie Brothers Fan site
• Annual Doobie Brothers Concert at Manager's Winery