Follow TV Tropes

Following

Music / The Doobie Brothers

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doobiebrothers.jpg
The 1974 lineup from left to right: Keith Knudsen, Tiran Porter, Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, John Hartman

"Oh, black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?
"
— The chorus to "Black Water"

The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band from San Jose, California renowned for their emphasis on vocal harmonies. They started out in 1970 with a hard rock sound incorporating folk music and rhythm and blues under the leadership of Tom Johnston, when the constant touring and Johnston's own health problems were proving an issue for the band after 1975. Johnston ultimately had to leave the band to pursue a solo career in 1977, with former Steely Dan keyboardist Michael McDonald taking the reins. A year later the band released their biggest single: "What a Fool Believes". The corresponding album Minute by Minute had proven to be a Tough Act to Follow, since 1980's One Step Closer had underwhelmed and received far less airplay compared to the previous album's output.

In 1982, the band had called it quits, only to regroup five years later with Johnston returning to the lineup. They have been a popular touring act since then, with venues quickly selling out the moment the band regrouped. In time for the band's fiftieth anniversary, they got inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. They had announced a 50th anniversary tour in 2019, only to see it delayed by COVID-19, with an official lineup of Patrick Simmons (the only member present in all of the band's incarnations), Johnston, longtime guitarist John McFee, and McDonald. This lineup has since announced it will release a new studio album in 2024.


Studio Discography:

  • 1971 - The Doobie Brothers
  • 1972 - Toulouse Street
  • 1973 - The Captain and Me
  • 1974 - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
  • 1975 - Stampede
  • 1976 - Takin' It to the Streets
  • 1977 - Livin' on the Fault Line
  • 1978 - Minute by Minute
  • 1980 - One Step Closer
  • 1989 - Cycles
  • 1991 - Brotherhood
  • 2000 - Sibling Rivalry
  • 2010 - World Gone Crazy
  • 2014 – Southbound
  • 2021 – Liberté

Members (Founding members in bold, current members in italics):

    Principal members 
  • Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (1974–79, 1987, 1992)
  • Cornelius Bumpus - saxophone, keyboards, vocals (1979–82, 1987, 1989–90, 1992, 1993, 1995; died 2004)
  • John Hartman - drums (1970–79, 1987–92; died 2021)
  • Michael Hossack - drums, percussion (1971–73, 1987–2012; died 2012)
  • Tom Johnston - guitars, vocals, harmonica (1970–1977, 1987–present)
  • Keith Knudsen - drums, backing vocals (1973–82, 1987, 1993–2005; died 2005)
  • Chet McCracken - drums, vibes (1979–82, 1987, 1995)
  • Michael McDonald - keyboards, vocals (1975–1982, 1987, 1992, 1995–96, 2014 [studio only], 2019–present)
  • John McFee - guitars, pedal steel, violin, harmonica, backing vocals (1979–1982, 1987, 1993–95, 1996–present)
  • Tony Pia - drums, percussion (2010–16)
  • Tiran Porter - bass, vocals (1972–80, 1987–92)
  • Dave Shogren - bass, keyboards, backing vocals (1970–71; died 1999)
  • Patrick Simmons - guitars, vocals (1970–1982, 1987–present)
  • Willie Weeks - bass (1980–82, 1993)

    Touring members 
  • Guy Allison - keyboards, backing vocals (1996-2015)
  • Richard Bryant - percussion, vocals (1989-1991)
  • Bernie Chiaravalle - guitar (1995)
  • David Choy - saxophone (2002)
  • Josh Cowan - bass, backing vocals (1993-5, 2010-present)
  • Jimi Fox - percussion, vocals (1989-91)
  • M.B. Gordy - percussion (2001-5)
  • Danny Hull - saxophone (1993-8)
  • Bobby LaKind - percussion, backing vocals (1979-1982, 1987, 1992; died 1992)
  • Dale Ockerman - keyboards (1988-95)
  • Bill Payne - keyboards, backing vocals (2015-present)
  • Marc Quiñones - percussion (2018-present)
  • Marc Russo - saxophone (1998-present)
  • Skylark - bass, vocals (1995-2010)
  • Ed Toth - drums, percussion (2005-present)
  • Ed Wynne - saxophone (2002)

Tropin' it to the streets:

  • Break Up Song: "What a Fool Believes," with the bitter twist that the man is trying to pretend it's not over.
  • Foreign Culture Fetish: The townspeople in "China Grove" have one for east Asian culture (China and Japan).
  • Jesus Was Way Cool: "Jesus Is Just Alright".
  • New Sound Album: Michael McDonald as the new lead singer took the band in a more soul and Jazz Fusion-influenced Soft Rock direction, and these changes first became apparent on Takin' It to the Streets, and cemented on Minute by Minute after Tom Johnston had to leave for health reasons.
  • Protest Song: "Takin' It to the Streets"
  • Revolving Door Band: Infamous for this; the only member to stay for the entire time is Patrick Simmons, with Tom Johnston taking a brief hiatus for health reasons in the late 70's. They cycle through touring members quite a bit, and even the number of principal members that recorded studio albums is a staggering 14.
  • Sweet Home Alabama: The band's 1974 hit "Black Water" is all about this. Writer/singer Patrick Simmons has said his two influences were "my childhood imaginings of the South from reading Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer" and his actual visits to New Orleans.

Alternative Title(s): Doobie Brothers

Top