LOS ANGELES - Michael Hossack, whose drumming underpinned a raft of hits for the Doobie Brothers, has died at the age of 65, the chart-topping California rock band said Tuesday.
"His family was by his side" when Hossack passed away Monday in Dubois, Wyoming, it said on its website (www.doobiebros.com). "Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and loved ones. We will miss him greatly."
Hossack took up drumming at age 12 with a marching band, served in the US navy during the Vietnam War, then returned to his native New Jersey where he initially planned to go into law enforcement.
Joining a band from California led him to relocate to the West Coast where he was soon recruited into the Doobie Brothers, playing on such hits as "Listen to the Music," "Rockin' Down The Highway" and "Jesus Is Just Alright."
He left the group in 1973, formed his own band and invested in a North Hollywood recording studio, but returned to the Doobie Brothers in 1987 when it reunited for a series of benefit concerts for Vietnam veterans.
Two years ago, ill health forced Hossack to stop touring with Doobie Brothers, which this summer will be co-headlining a series of concerts with fellow 1970s rockers Chicago. — AFP
article source: gmanetwork.com
