Dr. Hook (known as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show until 1975) is an American

rock band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

formed in

Union City, New Jersey Union City is a City (New Jersey), city in the North Hudson, New Jersey, northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was List of municipalities in Ne ...

. The band had commercial success in the 1970s with

hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single, or simply hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record'' ...

s "

Sylvia's Mother "Sylvia's Mother" is a 1972 single by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show and the group's first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein, produced by Ron Haffkine and was highly successful in the United States, reaching #5 on the '' Billboard'' si ...

" (1972), " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (1973), "

Only Sixteen "Only Sixteen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released in May 1959. It was a top 15 hit on ''Billboard's'' Hot R&B Sides chart and also charted within the top 30 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In ...

" (1976), "

A Little Bit More "A Little Bit More" is a song written and performed by American musician Bobby Gosh, released on his 1973 album ''Sitting in the Quiet''. American rock band Dr. Hook recorded the first hit version which was released as a single in 1976. It ch ...

" (1976), "

Walk Right In "Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929 by RCA Victor. In 1959, it was included on the compilation album ''The Country Blues''. Another version of the song b ...

" (1977), "

Sharing the Night Together "Sharing the Night Together" is a popular song written by Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick. Originally recorded by Lenny LeBlanc and then Arthur Alexander in 1976, the song was later a single produced by Ron Haffkine and performed by American roc ...

" (1978), " When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" (1979), " Better Love Next Time" (1979) and " Sexy Eyes" (1980). In addition to its own material, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show performed songs written by the poet

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, cartoonist, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into ...

. The band had eight years of hits in the United States. Its music, spanning acoustic

ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

and

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

, was played on Top 40,

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

and

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

outlets throughout the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

. In recent years the band's mellower '70s hits such as "

" (1978) and " When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" (1979) have also received regular airplay on Yacht Rock Radio on SiriusXM.

History

Founding of the band

The founding core of the band consisted of

George Cummings George H. Cummings Jr. (July 28, 1938 – December 14, 2024) was an American guitarist and songwriter based in Bayonne, New Jersey, and in later years, Nashville, Tennessee. Background Cummings was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on July 28, 1938 ...

, Ray Sawyer and Billy Francis, who had first worked together circa 1966 in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

in a band called Chocolate Papers. Cummings, Sawyer and Francis started a new band up in

in 1968 and included primary vocalist

Dennis Locorriere Dennis Michael Locorriere (born June 13, 1949) is the American lead vocalist and guitarist of the country rock group Dr. Hook (formerly Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show).Bonitto, Brian (2014)Hooking up with Dennis Locorriere, ''Jamaica Observer'', ...

, who initially joined as a bass player. By 1969, the new band was named Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: Tonic for the Soul. The name, thought up by Cummings, was inspired by Sawyer's

eyepatch An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...

and a reference to

Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...

of the

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

fairy tale. Sawyer lost his right eye in a near-fatal car crash in Oregon in 1967 and, after that, wore an eyepatch, leading some people to believe that ''he'' was Dr Hook; when asked by fans which band member was Dr Hook, they would all point to the bus driver.

1968–1971

Popeye Phillips, who had been the drummer in Chocolate Papers, left the band to become a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

, contributing to the first album by

the Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band f ...

. Drummer Joseph Olivier was the drummer by the time Cummings, Sawyer and Francis had relocated to New Jersey. Just before Dr. Hook began recording its first demos, Olivier was replaced by session drummer Jay David, who became a band member in 1970. In 1970, the band's

demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

s were heard by

Ron Haffkine Ron Haffkine (December 13, 1938 – October 1, 2023) was an American record producer, composer and music manager most recognized for his work as a producer and manager of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, an American rock band, producing hit single ...

, musical director on '' Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?''. Haffkine asked the band to record two songs for the film, including "The Last Morning" and "Bunky and Lucille", which the band can be seen performing in the movie. The film helped Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show secure their first

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

. In 1971, the group met with

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company * CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony * CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...

. David used a wastebasket in the meeting to keep the beat, and Francis danced on the mogul's desk while Sawyer, Locorriere, and Cummings played and sang. With the CBS Records deal, the band experienced international success with Haffkine as the group's manager and producer. In 1972, after recording their debut album, the band added a full-time bassist, Jance Garfat, and another guitarist, Rik Elswit.

1972

Haffkine, having a knack for picking songs, quickly became Dr. Hook's No. 1 A&R man and their producer and manager.

wrote all the songs for their self-titled debut album, released in May 1972. ''

Doctor Hook Dr. Hook (known as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show until 1975) is an American rock band formed in Union City, New Jersey. The band had commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles "Sylvia's Mother" (1972), " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (1973 ...

'' featured lead vocals, guitar, bass and harmonica by Locorriere, steel guitarist Cummings and singer Sawyer, plus drummer David and keyboard player Billy Francis. The album sold over one million copies and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

on August 2, 1972. It has been released 20 times in the US, Canada and Europe. The single "

", a subtle parody of teen-heartbreak weepers, flopped on first release, but with some more promotional muscle, became the band's first million-seller and hit the top five in the summer of 1972. Silverstein continued to write songs for Dr. Hook, including their entire second album, '' Sloppy Seconds'', released in the US, Australia, Europe and Canada in February 1973. It featured some of their most famous songs, including "Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball" and "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'". The album was listed in the Billboard 200 in 1973. The band's second single, " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (December 1972), was another million-selling disc in early 1973, poking fun at the idea that a musician had "made it" if they had been pictured on the cover of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine. Haffkine visited

Jann Wenner Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American businessman who co-founded the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'' with Ralph J. Gleason and is the former owner of '' Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free S ...

, one of the founders of ''

'', proclaiming, "I've just given you guys the best commercial for this rag that you'll ever get." Wenner then sent

Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American filmmaker and journalist. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. Crowe started his career a ...

(who later wrote and directed ''

Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the story of a teenage journalist, played b ...

'' about his time as a music journalist), then 16 years old, to interview the band for issue 131 (March 1973). Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show appeared on the cover, albeit in caricature rather than in a photograph. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, the BBC Radio network refused to play "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'", because it considered doing so would be advertising a trademark name. CBS Records responded by setting up a phone line to play the song to anyone willing to dial in, which helped build the buzz. The BBC found itself able to play the song only after some of its DJs edited themselves shouting the words "Radio Times" (a BBC-owned magazine) over "Rolling Stone".

1973–1974

The group had difficulty meeting the high expectations created by ''Sloppy Seconds'' and the result was ''Belly Up!'' (November 1973), which was unfortunately prophetic. The album was sold in the US, UK, Europe and Canada. Dr. Hook was just as famed for their crazed stage antics, ranging from surreal banter to impersonating their opening acts; the group's disregard for business matters led to bankruptcy. "If we were in the black when we finished a tour, we'd party into the red," says Locorriere. They were forced to file bankruptcy in 1974, although they continued to tour incessantly. The Medicine Show's lineup changed a few more times over the years. When David left the group in 1973, he was replaced by John Wolters. The next to depart was founding band member Cummings, who left in August 1975 due to illness, plus personal and musical differences. The band did not replace him. When Elswit was diagnosed with cancer in 1976, the band added Bob "Willard" Henke (formerly of Goose Creek Symphony). Elswit recovered and returned to the lineup, but they kept Henke on for a while. In 1974, Dr. Hook recorded an album that was to be titled ''Fried Face''; it was not released.

1975–1985

The band shortened its name to Dr. Hook in 1975. They signed with Capitol Records in 1975, releasing the aptly titled ''Bankrupt''. Unlike previous projects, this album included original material written by the group. The hit from the project was a reworked version of Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen" (US number 6), revitalizing their career and charted in the top ten in 1976. Haffkine discovered a song titled "

" written and originally performed by Bobby Gosh and released on his 1973 album ''Sitting in the Quiet'', on a record he purchased for 35 cents at a flea market in San Francisco. The band recorded and released the song, which reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spent two weeks at number nine on the Cashbox (magazine), ''Cash Box'' Top 100. It also reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, matching "Sylvia's Mother". The band followed ''Bankrupt'' with 1976's ''A Little Bit More'' (named after the hit), which was certified double gold in Australia in November 1976. It was quickly followed in turn by the 1977 album ''Making Love And Music'' which gave them a number 1 hit single in Australia with "

", then came ''Pleasure and Pain (Dr. Hook album), Pleasure & Pain'' (October 1978), which featured "

" (US number 6) and " When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" (US number 6). ''Sometimes You Win'' (October 1979) brought forth "Better Love Next Time" (US number 12) in late 1979 and "Sexy Eyes" (US number 5) in 1980. Save for "A Little Bit More" (US number 11), these singles were certified million-sellers. "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" reached number 1 for several weeks in 1979 in the UK. Though the band toured constantly, they had yet to manage to turn their success with singles into album sales. ''Pleasure and Pain'' was Dr. Hook's first gold album in the US. The band changed labels again to Casablanca Records in 1980, but could not replicate earlier successes. In late 1980, Dr. Hook released "Girls Can Get It" (US number 34) and had their final top 40 hit (which peaked in the US at number 25) with "Baby Makes Her Blue-Jeans Talk" in 1982. Guitarist Rod Smarr replaced Henke on guitar in 1980, Walter Hartman subbed for Wolters on drums from 1982–1983 and Leonard Wolfe played keyboards alongside Francis in 1983–1985. Ray Sawyer left in 1983 to pursue a solo career, while the band continued to tour for another couple of years, ending with Dr. Hook's One and Only Farewell Tour in 1985, with Locorriere as the sole frontman.

After Dr. Hook: 1985–present

After Dr. Hook split up,

retained ownership of the band's name. However, from 1988 to 2015, Sawyer was granted a license to tour separately as "Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook" or "Dr. Hook featuring Ray Sawyer" (joined for a time in 2001 by Billy Francis); Sawyer did not perform publicly after his last tour ended in October 2015 and died on December 31, 2018, at the age of 81. Billy Francis, after joining Sawyer in 2001 during his Dr. Hook concerts, died on May 23, 2010, at age 68. After the original band split, Dennis Locorriere released several solo albums and toured under the names ''Voice of Dr. Hook'' and ''Dennis Locorriere Celebrates Dr. Hook Hits and History Tour''. Now fronting the band ''Dr Hook starring Dennis Locorriere'', he started the ''Dr Hook 50th Anniversary World Tour'' in 2019, but this was postponed due to Locorriere undergoing a prostate procedure resulting in kidney problems. The band resumed their 50th Anniversary Tour on September 3, 2021, with a show at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and with performances scheduled for Scandinavia, the UK and Ireland in 2022. Currently Locorriere's version of Dr Hook is made up of John Maher, Michelle Cordelli, Damien Cooper, Tim Bye, Jon Poole and Ryan Farmery. Former bass player Robert Jance Garfat (born March 3, 1944) died in a motorcycle accident on November 6, 2006 at age 62. Former guitarist and keyboardist Bob 'Willard' Henke died on February 2, 2023, at the age of 71. Bass vocalist

died on December 14, 2024.

Members

– vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica (1969–1985, 2019–present) * Ray Sawyer – vocals, guitar, percussion, congas, maracas (1969–1983, 1988–2015, died 2018) * Billy Francis – keyboards, vocals (1969–1985, 2001; died 2010) *

– lead and steel guitars, vocals (1969–1975; died 2024) * John "Jay" David – drums, vocals (1970–1973) * Rik Elswit – guitar, vocals (1972–1985) * Jance Garfat – bass (1972–1985; died 2006) * John Wolters – drums (1973–1982, 1983–1985; died 1997) * Bob 'Willard' Henke – guitar, keyboards (1976–1980; died 2023) * Rod Smarr – guitar (1980–1985; died 2012) * Walter Hartman – drums (1982–1983) * Leonard Wolfe – keyboards (1983–1985) * Joseph Olivier – drums (1969-1971)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:115 bottom:100 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1986 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:guitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:guitar2 value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:steel value:drabgreen legend:Steel_guitar id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:lines1 value:black legend:Studio_Album Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1968 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1968 BarData = bar:Dennis text:Dennis Locorriere bar:Ray text:Ray Sawyer bar:George text:George Cummings bar:Rik text:Rik Elswit bar:Bob text:Bob Henke bar:Rod text:Rod Smarr bar:Jance text:Jance Garfat bar:Billy text:Billy Francis bar:Leonard text:Leonard Wolfe bar:Joseph text:Joseph Olivier bar:Jay text:Jay David bar:John text:John Wolters bar:Walter text:Walter Hartman PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Dennis from:01/01/1968 till:end color:vocals bar:Dennis from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1972 color:guitar2 width:7 bar:Dennis from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1972 color:bass width:3 bar:Dennis from:01/01/1972 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Ray from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1983 color:vocals bar:Ray from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1983 color:perc width:3 bar:Ray from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1983 color:guitar2 width:7 bar:Billy from:01/01/1968 till:end color:keyboards bar:Billy from:01/01/1968 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Leonard from:01/01/1983 till:end color:keyboards bar:George from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1972 color:guitar bar:George from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1972 color:steel width:7 bar:George from:01/01/1972 till:01/01/1975 color:steel bar:George from:01/01/1972 till:01/01/1975 color:guitar width:7 bar:George from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1975 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Jay from:01/06/1968 till:01/01/1973 color:drums bar:Jay from:01/06/1968 till:01/01/1973 color:bvocals width:3 bar:John from:01/01/1973 till:01/01/1982 color:drums bar:John from:01/01/1973 till:01/01/1982 color:bvocals width:3 bar:John from:01/01/1983 till:end color:drums bar:John from:01/01/1983 till:end color:perc width:7 bar:John from:01/01/1983 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Jance from:01/01/1972 till:end color:bass bar:Rik from:01/01/1972 till:end color:guitar2 bar:Rik from:01/01/1972 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Joseph from:01/01/1968 till:01/06/1968 color:drums bar:Walter from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:drums bar:Bob from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/1980 color:guitar2 bar:Bob from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/1980 color:keyboards width:7 bar:Bob from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/1980 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Rod from:01/01/1980 till:end color:guitar2 LineData= at:01/01/1971 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/03/1972 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1973 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1975 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1976 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1977 color:lines1 layer:back at:06/10/1978 color:lines1 layer:back at:05/10/1979 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/06/1980 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1982 color:lines1 layer:back at:01/01/1983 color:lines1 layer:back

Discography

* ''

'' (1972) (as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) * '' Sloppy Seconds'' (1972) (as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) * ''Belly Up!'' (1973) (as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show) * ''Bankrupt'' (1975) * ''A Little Bit More'' (1976) * ''Makin' Love and Music (1977) * ''Pleasure and Pain (Dr. Hook album), Pleasure and Pain'' (1978) * ''Sometimes You Win'' (1979) * ''Rising'' (1980) * ''Players in the Dark'' (1982) * ''Let Me Drink from Your Well'' (1983)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show 1968 establishments in New Jersey 1985 disestablishments in New Jersey American country rock groups American soft rock music groups Capitol Records artists Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1985