Where Are They Now? Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show Where are they Now? Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show With smart-aleck hits and stage antics that included dressing up as their own opening acts, Dr. Hook and the Medecine Show gladly assumed the role of the clown princes of Seventies pop. Their off-center, sardonic approach to music making kept Hook and his cronies on the charts for over ten years, netting them thirty-five gold and platinum records. The band's loopy stagecraft took shape in the rowdy bars near a bus station in Union City, New Jersey, where New Jersey Native Dennis Locorriere and Southern honky-tonk veteran Ray Sawyer hooked up in 1968 (Sawyer's eye patch, the result of an injury received in a car accident in 1967, inspired the band's name).

They got their start singing one of cartoonist-songwriter Shel Silverstein's songs for Dustin Hoffman's 1970 movie Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying All Those Terrible Things About Me?, and it was Silverstein's mock ballad "Sylvia's Mother" that first put the motley band on the charts in 1972. The following February, another of Silverstein's musical satires, "The Cover of Rolling Stone," put Dr. Hook back in the Top Ten, and by March the band was on the cover of the magazine. "The only thing I regret is that when we got on the cover," says Locorriere, "we were a bunch of assholes and we had nothing to say." By 1974, though, the group's nonchalance about business matters led to bankruptcy. "If we were in the black when we finished a tour, we'd party into the red," says Locorriere. Although the band, which had shorted its name to Dr. Hook, staged a comeback in 1976 with a Top Ten remake of Sam Cooke's "Once Sixteen," both Sawyer and Locorrier feel that the band's original spirit had been lost.

"Our music got real safe in the late Seventies," says Locorriere. "We were on Solid Gold until you wanted to puke. And we started to hate our albums." Their hitmaking continued through this period, but Sawyer finally left in disgust in 1983. "I became a product with a patch and a hat," he says. The band did a few more tours to pay back bills before packing it in in 1985. "Everybody knew it was time to do something else," says Locorriere. "When we started to play clubs where our picture and Chubby Checker's were in the lobby, I would think, 'Is he coming back or are we on our way out?' " Now living in Nashville with his son Jessejames, Locorriere, 38, retired from music for a while but resurfaced recently as a backup singer on Randy Travis's album Always and Forever. Sawyer, 50, plays clubs in the U.S. and Canada with an R&B oriented band and has opened in Las Vegas for longtime friend Mel Tillis. Sawyer, his wife, Linda, and their two children live near Nashville. Although Locorriere has fond memores of Dr.

Hook, he's not about to hit the comeback trail. "We could probably still be gigging somewhere," he says, "whether it was in a club or on this tour with the Turtles. But we're semilegendary, and I'd like to keep it there." - David Browne Dr. Hook Dr. Hook Prior to forming Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show, George Cummings, Ray Sawyer and Billy Francis were members of an earlier group called "The Chocolate Papers", along with Bobby Dimingus, Popeye Phillips and Jimmy "Wolf Cub" Allen. After touring clubs in Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina, the six settled in Biloxi to open up their own club called "Chez Joey". The group played as the house band for a while, then went to Chicago, where after a brief stint, Cummings left to form a new band in the New York area. The year was 1968 when Cummings called his old friend Ray Sawyer to come to New Jersey and join him. This new group began performing using no name at all, until one night, a club owner asked George what name to use when advertising the band. Right on the spot, George came up with the name, "Dr.

Hook & The Medicine Show", in reference to Ray's eye patch making him look like Captain Hook from 'Peter Pan' (Ray had lost his eye in an auto accident) and since drugs were all the rage at the time, he tacked on "The Medicine Show". They had been performing together for about a month or two, when Dennis Locorriere (Low-Cor-Ee-Air) came in one night and sat in on guitar. By the end of the evening, he was asked to join the group. As time passed, George brought two other former 'Chocolate Papers' members in, Popeye Phillips on drums and then Bill Francis to play keyboards. Popeye didn't stay long and moved back to Mobile. He was replaced by Jay David. Their first big professional break came in 1970 when record producer Ron Haffkine heard a tape of the band's music and asked them to perform the Shel Silverstein song 'Last Morning' in the Dustin Hoffman film, 'Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?' Silverstein, a Playboy magazine cartoonist, had composed the film's musical score and he was subsequently to play an important role in Dr.

Hook's story, writing many of their earliest successes. Ron Haffkine meanwhile went on to produce all of Dr. Hook's recordings. The band signed their first record deal with CBS/Columbia and began the recording of their debut album in New York City, completing all but the track that was to become their first hit single. After being invited to play at the CBS Records convention in Los Angeles, the band moved to California, settling in San Francisco. It was there that Shel Silverstein played the newly written 'Sylvia's Mother' for them and they decided to include it on their self titled album, released later that year. Initial reaction was encouraging and CBS issued the track, 'Sylvia's Mother' as a single. The quirky, offbeat love song got off to a slow start when it was first released, managing only to make the lower end of the U.S. pop charts before leaving without a trace. Undeterred, Clive Davis, then boss of CBS Records, was determined to salvage 'Sylvia's Mother'. Davis believed the record could be a hit and put CBS' full promotion efforts behind the single.

It was re-released in July 1972, and this time, 'Sylvia's Mother' climbed all the way to number one, selling over a million copies. Shortly after, the record repeated its American success in Britain where it topped out at number two, spending 13 weeks in the British Top 50 - a considerable achievement for an act that had been unheard of only 12 months before. Later that year, again with Haffkine producing and with two new members, bassist Jance Garfat and guitarist Rik Elswit, the band recorded their second album, irreverently titled 'Sloppy Seconds'. From this album, their second single, 'Carry Me, Carrie', was chosen. Although the single was a moderate success, reaching the higher end of the Billboard Top 100, the album just missed the Top 40. The band's chart fortunes were restored however, with the release of 'The Cover Of The Rolling Stone', another wry Shel Silverstein composition, again taken from 'Sloppy Seconds'.

The single was a huge success in the U.S., climbing to number two and securing the band their very own cover of Rolling Stone magazine in March 1973. 'The Cover Of The Rolling Stone' gave Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show their second million-selling single. Ironically however, the record ran into problems in Great Britain when it was released. The BBC steadfastly refused to play it on either TV or radio because the song's title was deemed an advertisement for the famous American rock music magazine. CBS Records in London attempted to sidestep the airplay problem by setting up special phone lines whereby fans could call up and hear the record. There was even an 'alternative' version in which a group of BBC radio disc jockeys were heard to chant 'Radio Times' over the offending words. Despite these efforts, the single failed to make any impact on the British charts. The follow ups to 'Rolling Stone' failed to match the group's earlier success. 'Ballad Of Lucy Jordan', (later successfully revived by Marianne Faithful), 'Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie', and 'Life Ain't Easy', failed to make any significant impact.

The singles struggled to make the Billboard Hot 100 while the sales of 'Belly Up', their third album, were equally disappointing (the album peaked at number 141 in the Billboard chart). It was at this point that the band's long-time co-manager, Bobby Heller, entered the picture. Heller, had been a life-long friend and confidant of Haffkine's and had followed the band's career with interest. He received a phone call from Haffkine asking him to help sort out major band and label problems, together with other complicated business and legal issues. This resulted in Heller flying out to San Francisco. The group had become disillusioned with CBS Records following the sudden departure of Clive Davis, the man who had been their main champion there and they were anxious to obtain a contract release. After Davis left, three executives attempted to run CBS by committee. They shuffled Heller from one office to another and ignored his plea to support the band financially or to let them out of their contract. The band's foreign sales success was one of the main reasons for CBS' reluctance to grant them a release.

Eventually, Heller, with the right legal support, got the band out of the deal by commencing a successful bankruptcy proceeding. The group was now free to deal with another label. It was decided to shorten their name to just 'Dr. Hook', and a change of fortune arrived when Capitol Records showed interest in the band. Dr. Hook were subsequently offered a one-year deal with the company and thus began the most successful and musically creative period of their career. Their recording comeback was slow in taking off however. Their first album for Capitol Records, appropriately title 'Bankrupt', reached only number 141 in the Billboard chart, while 'The Millionaire', their debut single for the label, peaked at number 55. Undaunted, and with a new drummer, John Wolters, the band finished 1975 with a U.K. tour which helped to lay the foundations for their future British success. In early 1976, Capitol Records released a second single from the album, a revival of the Sam Cooke classic 'Only Sixteen'.

There had been some resistance within the record company over the release of a cover version as a new single, but Bobby Heller, together with Bruce Wendell, the head of promotion at Capitol at the time, were the persuasive factors. Eventually, the song was released and entered the American charts in early February, just as their contract was about to run out. Capitol increased its promotional efforts on 'Only Sixteen' and the single eventually enjoyed a 14 week chart run in the American Top 40 and reached number 6, giving the group their third million selling single. Capitol's investment in the band was further rewarded when Dr. Hook secured another major hit with the title song from the 'A Little Bit More' album, recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, which was now the group's new home base. George Cummings however, decided to leave the Hook line-up mid-way through the recording of the album. 'A Little Bit More' reached number 11 in the U.S., and spent 14 weeks in the Top 40, and also stayed for four weeks at number 2 in the U.K.

charts, only being prevented from reaching number one by the Elton John and Kiki Dee duet, 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'. Meanwhile their album was also a huge hit this side of the Atlantic, climbing to number 5 and spending a total of 42 weeks in the charts (in the U.S. the album reached number 62 in the Billboard chart). Underlining their country music influences, the band appeared at a benefit performance at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and followed it with more recording sessions in the country music capital. 1976 ended on a triumphant note when another single 'If Not You', penned by Dennis Locorriere and also taken from the album 'A Little Bit More', reached number 5 in the U.K. (spending ten weeks in the Top 50), but stalled at number 55 in the Billboard Hot 100. The first half of 1977 saw Dr. Hook back in the studios, recording their next album 'Makin' Love And Music', (while Ray Sawyer simultaneously made his own solo album of country songs in the next-door studio).

In late summer, they released a new single from the album, a revamp of 'Walk Right In', originally a number one for The Rooftop Singers in 1963, which failed miserably. The album however, went top 40, and a follow up single scored a U.K. Top 20 single in April 1978 with Shel Silverstein's 'More Like The Movies'. In October 1978 their latest U.S. single 'Sharing The Night Together', taken from their forthcoming Capitol album 'Pleasure And Pain', started climbing the Billboard Hot 100. 'Sharing The Night Together' climbed to number 6 on the American chart, spent a total of four months in the Top 40, and sold over a million copies. The release of the 'Pleasure And Pain' album in early 1979 also became a milestone for the band as it became their first gold album, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Tragically, guitarist Rik Elswit became seriously ill with cancer and had to leave the line-up for a year.

Rik's place in the band was taken over by Bob 'Willard' Henke, who remained within the ranks for some time after Elswit's return. Dr Hook's next U.S. single, 'All The Time In The World', also from the 'Pleasure And Pain' album, could only reach number 54 in February 1979 but was followed by what was to ultimately become Dr. Hook's biggest-selling single, 'When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman', composed by Even Stevens. The single received little response in England, but following its international success, was re-issued by Capitol/EMI and Dennis Locorriere and Ray Sawyer flew to London to help promote it. Locorriere and Sawyer's efforts paid dividends. 'When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman' broke into the British Top 50 in September 1979 and within two months had sailed gracefully to the top chart position, where it remained firmly planted for three weeks.

It racked up a 17 week chart residency in the Top 50 and back in the U.S., the song was also a huge hit for the band, climbing to number 6 on the Billboard chart and spending 16 weeks in the Top 40. The new decade began with yet another transatlantic smash hit for Dr. Hook. 'Better Love Next Time' reached number 12 in the U.S. (with 14 weeks in the Top 40), and made number 8 in the U.K. Three months later, in March 1980, the band released the infectious 'Sexy Eyes' and it notched up yet another Top 10 hit for them, reaching number 5 in the U.S. charts (with a total of 15 weeks in the Billboard Top 40) and providing Dr. Hook with their sixth million selling single. In the U.K. 'Sexy Eyes' fared equally as well, soaring to number 4 and spending nine weeks in the Top 50.

The single was featured on their latest album, 'Sometimes You Win', which reached number 14 in the U.K., and spent 44 weeks in the Top 50, earning the band another gold disc. Ironically, 'Sexy Eyes' proved to be the last major hit single for Dr. Hook. There were two more minor hit singles during 1980 - 'Years From Now', which peaked at number 47 in the charts (and made number 51 in the Billboard Hot 100), followed by 'Sharing The Night Together' which stalled at number 43 in Britain, two years after its original American chart success. By now the band's contract with Capitol Records was about to expire and they decided to part company with the label. Now with new guitarist Rod Smarr replacing Henke, Dr. Hook signed a new recording deal which saw their music released on Casablanca in the U.S., and on the Mercury label in the U.K. Their first album under the new arrangement, 'Rising', barely made the Billboard albums chart and did only marginally better in the U.K. where it reached number 44.

Their single however, 'Girls Can Get It', made the Top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic. There were several other minor American hits including 'Loveline' and 'Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk' (which reached number 25 in the U.S.) taken from their final studio album, 'Players In The Dark', but increased tensions and musical differences were taking their toll. Ray Sawyer left the band in 1982 to pursue a solo career and Dennis Locorriere carried on with the band, doing two more sell out tours of the U.K and Australia - including " Dr. Hook's One and Only Farewell Tour" before disbanding the group in 1985. Since then, Sawyer has returned to live performance with a new band, however, Locorriere's company owns all the rights to the Dr. Hook name and licenses it to Sawyer. Dennis Locorriere has toured the U.K. several times in recent years, performing his own successful solo gigs, as well as helping to promote the best-selling anthology album, 'Completely Hooked'. During 1996, he completed work on his solo album, 'Running With Scissors', which he produced with former Dr.

Hook member Rod Smarr, and released in Autumn '96. In 1995, Sawyer released an album containing re-recordings of many of the classic Dr. Hook hits under the name 'Dr. Hook featuring Ray Sawyer', a group which consisted of no original members other than Sawyer himself. On January 21st, 2007, Locorriere appeared onstage with Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, Steve Winwood, Joe Walsh, Paul Weller and Yusuf Islam, at the Dear Mr. Fantasy charity concert in remembrance of Traffic's Jim Capaldi, who had died in 2005. In March of 2007, Locorriere and his band embarked on the Dennis Locorriere Celebrates Dr. Hook Hits and History Tour, to promote the release of the "Dr. Hook Hits and History" CD/DVD set. A live DVD of the tour was released in July 2007, and appeared in the UK music DVD chart at number 10. In early 2008, Locorriere toured as a member of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, followed by a few solo tours, which Locorriere called his Alone With..

shows. On March 15, 2010, his third solo album, "Post Cool", was released on Proper Records. For 2015, Ray Sawyer was heavily booked as a solo act across the UK and Canada and had just released a new CD titled "Captain", based on the music of New Orleans, R&B, Soul and Rock. Dennis Locorriere was appearing across New Zealand and Europe with the "Timeless" tour in support of the latest Dr. Hook album of that same name. Dr. Hook | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Steve Huey Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show 's sardonic, country-flavored pop/rock made them one of the most fondly remembered acts of AM pop radio's heyday in the '70s. Although the band had a reputation as a mouthpiece for humorist Shel Silverstein , who supplied several of their biggest hits (including "The Cover of Rolling Stone"), they didn't rely exclusively on his material by any means. And, during their peak years, they were just as famed for their crazed stage antics, which ranged from surreal banter to impersonating their own opening acts.

The band was formed in Union City, NJ, in 1968, when a young singer/songwriter named Dennis Locorriere teamed up with Alabama-born country-rocker Ray Sawyer . Sawyer 's distinctive stage presence stemmed from his enormous cowboy hat and an eye patch that hid injuries from a serious car accident in 1967. Sharing the spotlight on guitar and lead vocals, the duo teamed up with Sawyer 's bandmates from a group called the Chocolate Papers: George Cummings (lead and steel guitars), Billy Francis (keyboards), and Popeye Phillips (drums). Phillips soon moved home to Alabama and was replaced by local drummer John "Jay" David. Sawyer 's eye patch inspired the nickname Dr. Hook , after the Captain Hook character in Peter Pan; with the rest of the band christened the Medicine Show (a possible drug reference), they began playing some of the roughest bars in the Union City area, concentrating mostly on country music out of sheer necessity.

Anxious to find a more hospitable environment, the band recorded some demos, and in early 1970 their manager played the tapes for Ron Haffkine , who was working as musical director for the film Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Haffkine had been looking for bands to perform the songs written for the soundtrack by Shel Silverstein , an ex-folkie, Playboy cartoonist, and children's author who'd penned Johnny Cash 's hit "A Boy Named Sue." He took an instant liking to Locorriere 's voice, and became the group's manager and producer, signing them to record "Last Morning" for the film soundtrack and also landing a deal with CBS. Silverstein wrote all the songs for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show 's self-titled debut album, which was released in 1971. The single "Sylvia's Mother," 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 (even if many listeners took it as sincere).

That year, the band added a full-time bassist in Jance Garfat , as well as another lead guitarist, Rik Elswit . Their second album, Sloppy Seconds , was again written by Silverstein , and featured more risqué material, perhaps in response to the success of "Sylvia's Mother." "The Cover of Rolling Stone," written specifically to get the band featured on same, became another Top Ten smash in early 1973, and Rolling Stone soon granted the band's wish. However, following it up proved difficult. Drummer David left the group in 1973, to be replaced by John Wolters ; the title of their next album, Belly Up , was unfortunately prophetic, and the band filed for bankruptcy in 1974 (partly as a way to get out of their contract with CBS). Now known simply as Dr. Hook , they signed with Capitol in 1975, debuting with Bankrupt , which began to feature more group originals.

A cover of Sam Cooke 's "Only Sixteen" returned them to the Top Ten in 1976 and revitalized their career; although Cummings left the band that year, further hits followed over the next few years in "A Little Bit More," "Sharing the Night Together," "When You're in Love With a Woman," and "Sexy Eyes." 1979's Pleasure & Pain became their first gold album, cementing the band's transition into disco-tinged balladeers. However, Elswit had to leave the band for a year after developing cancer; he was replaced by Bob "Willard" Henke , who remained in the lineup after Elswit 's return. Ray Sawyer , however, did not; dissatisfied with their newly commercial direction, he departed in 1980, robbing Dr. Hook of, well, Dr. Hook . With Rod Smarr replacing Henke , the remainder of the band switched from Capitol to Casablanca, with very little success; after a few bill-paying tours, they finally gave up the ghost in 1985.

Locorriere became a session and touring vocalist, backing Randy Travis in 1989, and in 1996 recorded the solo LP Running With Scissors. Sawyer still tours under the Dr. Hook name, though he licenses it from Locorriere . Drummer Wolters died of cancer in 1997. DR. HOOK & THE MEDICINE SHOW BIOGRAPHY Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show Biography Last updated: 10/06/2013 08:22:21 AM Prior to their fame in Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show, George Cummings, Ray Sawyer and Billy Francis were members of an earlier group called "The Chocolate Papers". Other members of this band were Bobby Dimingus (drums), Popeye Phillips (drums) and Jimmy "Wolf Cub" Allen (bass). This group performed in Meridian, MS, Mobile, AL, Biloxi, MS and Charleston, SC. After playing a gig at the A & N club Charleston, SC, George, Ray, Billy, Popeye, Jimmy and Bobby went to Biloxi and opened up their own club called " Chez Joey".

The band played a few months at their club as the house band, then went to Chicago. After a brief stint in Chicago, George went back to the New York & New Jersey area and was guitarist and front man for a new band. In NJ, George got together a bass player and drummer and started playing in Jersey bars. George then brought Ray Sawyer up from Mobile, Alabama. This new group was performing using no name at all but was the foundation of the group soon to be known as Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show. At the Bandbox in Union City, New Jersey, the club owner asked George what name to use for the band. It was on the spot, that George came up with the name, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. George gave the band its name for two reasons. Firstly Ray had lost his eye in an earlier automobile accident and wore an eye-patch. Captain Hook, from the J. M. Barrie book "Peter Pan", also wore an eye-patch. This was the inspiration for the name Hook. The second reason stemmed from a sign of the times; drugs were a major topic. Hence the medical reference. With a change of Captain to Doctor - Dr.

Hook And The Medicine Show was at last named. After George's band had been performing for about a month or two, Dennis Locorriere came in one night and sat in. George then hired Dennis. As a short time passed George brought two other former Chocolate Papers members in, Popeye Phillips on drums and then Bill Francis to play keyboards. Popeye didn't stay long, and moved back to Mobile. From these beginnings the band worked many clubs in the NY & NJ area until they were discovered and signed by CBS Records. This was the beginning of the journey that would take them on to worldwide acclaim and recognition. Even now, after the band has been broken up for more than 15 years, there are many thousands of fans worldwide who still listen to Dr. Hook's music and who search for collectables in fairs and auctions. I Know, I am one of the fans who can never get enough. More than a decade after breaking up, Dr. Hook - the U.S. pop-country rock band fronted by those two inimitable musical characters Dennis Locorriere and Ray Sawyer - are still remembered with great affection by thousands of popular music fans around the world.

With six million-selling singles to their credit, including such memorable classics as Sylvia's Mother, The Cover Of The 'Rolling Stone', Only Sixteen, A Little Bit More and When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook's recording legacy has earned a very secure niche in pop music history, thanks to a musical mixture of fun, irony and wryness, which still sounds as fresh today as when the band were at the height of their success. Dr. Hook was conceived in 1968 in Union City, New Jersey when a local 19 year old aspiring singer-songwriter named Dennis Locorriere teamed up with 32 year old rythm and blues performer Ray Sawyer from Chickasaw, Alabama. Also included in the original line-up were George Cummings from Meridian, Mississippi, who played lead guitar and lap steel, keyboardist Billy Francis from Ocean Springs, Mississippi and drummer Jay David, who hailed from Bayonne, New Jersey. The fledgling band gigged around local bars and clubs, often using no name at all. They became Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show (a name thought up on the spot by Cummings) after a club owner demanded a group name to put on his club posters.

The name fitted the band's rather wacky, laid back music and stage presentation which included co-front man Sawyer wearing a distinctive eye-patch (a legacy of a serious car accident). Dr. Hook and The Medicine show's first big professional break came when record producer Ron Haffkine heard a tape of the band's music and asked them to perform the Shel Silverstein song Last Morning in the Dustin Hoffman film, Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Silverstein, a Playboy magazine cartoonist, had composed the film's musical score and he was subsequently to play an important role in Dr. Hook's story, writing many of their earliest successes. Ron Haffkine meanwhile went on to produce all of Dr. Hook's recordings. The band signed their first record deal with CBS/Columbia (now Sony) and began the recording of their debut album in New York City, completing all but the track that was to become their first hit single. After being invited to play at the CBS Records convention in Los Angeles, the band moved to California, settling in San Francisco.

It was there that Shel Silverstein played the newly written Sylvia's Mother for them and they decided to include it on their eponymously titled album, released later that year. Initial reaction was encouraging and CBS released the track Sylvia's Mother as a single. The quirky, offbeat but plaintive love song got off to a slow start however. When first released it managed to make only the bottom of the U.S. pop charts before sinking without a trace. Undeterred, then boss of CBS Records, Clive Davis (who signed such artists as Janis Joplin, Santana and Bruce Springsteen), was determined to salvage Sylvia's Mother. Davis, who believed the record could be a huge hit, put CBS' full promotion efforts behind the single. Second time around, in July 1972, Sylvia's Mother climbed to number one, selling over a million copies. Shortly thereafter, the record repeated its American success in Britain where it narrowly missed the number one spot, spending 13 weeks in the British Top 50 - a considerable achievement for an act that had been unheard of only 12 months before.

Later that year, again with Haffkine producing and with two new members, bassist Jance Garfat and guitarist Rik Elswit, the band recorded their second album, irreverently titled Sloppy Seconds. This album spawned their next single, Carry Me, Carrie, which made the lower reaches of the Billboard Top 100, while the album just missed the Top 40. The band's chart fortunes were dramatically restored, however with the release of The Cover Of 'The Rolling Stone'. Another wry Shel Silverstein composition again taken from Sloppy Seconds. The single was a huge success in the U.S., climbing to number two and securing the band their very own cover of Rolling Stone magazine in March 1973. The Cover Of 'The Rolling Stone' provided Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show with their second million-selling single. Ironically however the record ran into problems in the U.K. when it was released - the BBC steadfastly refused to play it on either TV or radio because the song's title was deemed an advertisement for the famous American rock music magazine!

CBS Records in London attempted to sidestep the airplay problem by setting up special phone lines whereby fans could call up and hear the record (then quite an innovative marketing ploy). There was even an 'alternative' version in which a group of BBC radio disc jockeys were heard to chant 'Radio Times' over the offending words, 'Rolling Stone'! Sadly the single failed to make any impact on the British charts, although The Cover Of The 'Rolling Stone' remained a firm favourite in Dr. Hook's live repertoire throughout their career. Ironically, soon after the U.S. success of the single, Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show's record sales took a dramatic downturn. Despite recording such other classic Shel Silverstein songs as Ballad Of Lucy Jordan, (later successfully revived by Marianne Faithful), their subsequent U.S. single releases, Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie, and Life Ain't Easy, failed to make any significant impact. Both singles struggled to make the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 while the sales of Belly Up, their third album, were equally disappointing (the album peaked at number 141 in the Billboard chart).

It was at this point that the band's long-time co-manager, Bobby Heller, entered the picture. Heller, had been a life-long friend and confidant of Haffkine's and had followed the band's career with interest. He received an emergency phone call from Haffkine asking him to help sort out major band and label problems together with other complicated business and legal issues. This resulted in Heller flying out to San Francisco. The group had become disillusioned with CBS Records following the sudden departure of Clive Davis, the man who had been their main champion there and they were anxious to obtain a contract release. After Davis left, three executives attempted to run CBS by committee. They shuffled Heller from one office to another and ignored his plea to support the band financially or to let them off the label. The band's foreign sales success was one of the main reasons for CBS' reluctance to grant them a release. Eventually Heller with the right legal support, got the band out of the deal by commencing a successful bankruptcy proceeding. Dr. Hook was now free to deal with another label. Soon afterwards the band decided to shorten their name to Dr. Hook, and further salvation arrived when Capitol Records showed interest in signing the band. Dr.

Hook were subsequently offered an initial one-year deal with the major company and thus began the most successful and musically creative period of their career. However Dr. Hook's recording comeback was slow in taking off. Their first album for Capitol Records, appropriately title Bankrupt, reached only number 141 in the Billboard chart, while The Millionaire, their debut single for the label, peaked at number 55. Undaunted, and with a new drummer, John Wolters, the band finished 1975 with a U.K. tour which helped to lay the foundations for their future British success. In early 1976 Capitol Records released a second single from the album, a revival of the Sam Cooke classic Only Sixteen. The band knew it was possibly their last shot at success and that the record had to work. There had been some resistance within the record company over the release of Only Sixteen as a single, but Bobby Heller, together with Bruce Wendell, the head of promotion at Capitol at the time, were the persuasive factors. Eventually it came out and entered the American charts in early February, just as their contract was about to run out.

Capitol increased its promotional efforts on Only Sixteen and the single eventually enjoyed a 14 week chart run in the American Top 40 and reached number 6, giving the group their third million selling single. Capitol's investment in the band was further rewarded when Dr. Hook secured another major hit with the title song from the A Little Bit More album, recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, which was now the group's new home base. George Cummings left the Hook line-up mid-way through the recording of the album. A Little Bit More reached number 11 in the U.S., and spent 14 weeks in the Top 40, and also perched for four weeks at number 2 in the U.K. charts, only being prevented from reaching number one by the Elton John and Kiki Dee duet, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. Meanwhile their album was also a huge hit this side of the Atlantic, climbing to number 5 and spending a total of 42 weeks in the charts (in the U.S. the album reached number 62 in the Billboard chart). Underlining their country music influences, Dr.

Hook appeared at a benefit performance at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and followed it with more recording sessions in the country music capital. 1976 ended on a triumphant note when another single If Not You, penned by Dennis Locorriere and also taken from the album A Little Bit More, reached number 5 in the U.K. (spending ten weeks in the Top 50), and number 55 in the Billboard Hot 100. The first half of 1977 saw Dr. Hook back in the studios, recording their next album Makin' Love And Music, (while Ray Sawyer simultaneously made his own solo album of country songs in the next-door studio). In late summer they released a new single taken from the album, a revamp of Walk Right In, originally a number one for The Rooftop Singers in 1963. The band secured another British chart success when the Makin' Love And Music album went top 40, and also scored a U.K. Top 20 single in April 1978 with Shel Silverstein's More Like The Movies, from the A Little Bit More album. In October 1978 their latest U.S.

single Sharing The Night Together, taken from their forthcoming Capitol album Pleasure And Pain, started climbing the Billboard Hot 100. Sharing The Night Together glided to number 6 in the American charts, spent a total of four months in the Top 40, and sold over a million copies. The release of the Pleasure And Pain album in early 1979 also augered well for the band.... it became their first gold album, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Tragically guitarist Rik Elswit became seriously ill with cancer around this time and he had to leave the line-up for a year. Rik's place in the band was taken over by Bob 'Willard' Henke, who remained within the ranks for some time after Elswit's return. Dr Hook's next U.S. single, All The Time In The World, also from the Pleasure And Pain album, reached number 54 in February 1979 and was followed by what was to ultimately become Dr. Hook's biggest-selling single, When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, composed by Even Stevens, was not a success first-time around in the U.K.

The single was initially released to little response but, following its international success elsewhere, was re-issued by Capitol/EMI and Dennis Locorriere and Ray Sawyer flew to London to help promote it. Locorriere and Sawyer's efforts paid dividends. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman broke into the British Top 50 in September 1979 and within two months had sailed gracefully to the pole chart position, where it remained firmly ensconced for three weeks. It clocked up a 17 week chart residency in the Top 50 and back in the U.S. the song was also a huge hit for the band, climbing to number 6 in the Billboard chart and spending 16 weeks in the Top 40. The new decade began with yet another transatlantic smash hit for Dr. Hook. Better Love Next Time reached number 12 in the U.S. (with 14 weeks in the Top 40), and made number 8 in the U.K. Three months later, in March 1980, the band released the infectious Sexy Eyes and it notched up yet another Top 10 hit for them, reaching number 5 in the U.S.

charts (with a total of 15 weeks in the Billboard Top 40) and providing Dr. Hook with their sixth million selling single. In the U.K. Sexy Eyes fared equally as well, soaring to number 4 and spending nine weeks in the Top 50. The single featured on their latest album, Sometimes You Win, which reached number 14 in the U.K., and spent 44 weeks in the Top 50, earning the band a gold disc. Ironically, Sexy Eyes proved to be the last major hit single for Dr. Hook. There were two more minor hit singles during 1980 - Years From Now, which peaked at number 47 in the charts (and made number 51 in the Billboard Hot 100), followed by Sharing The Night Together which stalled at number 43 in Britain, two years after its original American chart success. By now the band's contract with Capitol Records was about to expire and they decided to part company with the label. Now with new guitarist Rod Smarr replacing Henke, Dr. Hook signed a new recording deal which saw their music released on Casablanca in the U.S., and on the Mercury label in the U.K.

Their first album under the new arrangement, Rising, tickled the bottom of the Billboard albums chart and did marginally better in the U.K. where it reached number 44. Their single, Girls Can Get It, made the Top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic. There were several other minor American hits including Loveline and Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk (which reached number 25 in the U.S.) taken from their final studio album, Players In The Dark, but increased tensions and musical differences were taking their toll. Ray Sawyer left the line-up in 1982 to pursue a solo career and Dennis Locorriere carried on with the band, doing two more sell out tours of the U.K and Australia - including " Dr. Hook's One and Only Farewell Tour" before disbanding the group in 1985. Since then, Sawyer has returned to live performance with a new band. Locorriere's company owns all the rights to the Dr. Hook name and licenses it to Sawyer under certain terms and conditions. In 1995, Sawyer released an album containing re-recordings of many of the classic Dr. Hook hits under the name Dr.

Hook featuring Ray Sawyer, a group which consists of no original members other than Sawyer himself. Dennis Locorriere has visited the U.K. several times in recent years, performing his own successful solo gigs, as well as helping to promote the best-selling anthology album, Completely Hooked. During 1996, he completed work on his solo album, "Running With Scissors," which he produced with former Dr. Hook member Rod Smarr, to be released in Autumn '96. The Dr. Hook magic lives on in the nineties.... Dr. Hook were one of the great fun pop-country rock bands of the Seventies and early Eighties, and their musical demise was mourned by thousands of fans around the world. Their recording legacy has however continued to be in huge demand. Chris White Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show | Russ & Gary's "The Best Years of Music" Russ & Gary's "The Best Years of Music" Posted on March 1, 2016 | 2 Comments Gary: It was the early 70’s, maybe 1971 and one of the weirdest bands (in my opinion) came on the scene.

A back up singer by the name of Ray Sawyer wore a legitimate eye patch due to a loss of an eye in 1967 but the lead singer and founder, Dennis Locorriere, was very talented and hailed from New Jersey. To this day most people think that the bands name came from Ray wearing the eye patch, No, it was Peter Pan and Captain Hook. They were not a huge favourite of mine, but they wrote and recorded some great music. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show Changed to just Dr. Hook in 1975 . 1980 / BBC Show / The cover of the Rolling Stone / . 1980 /The Midnight Special / When your in Love with beautiful Women / . . Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show‘s sardonic, country-flavoured pop/rock made them one of the most fondly remembered acts of AM pop radio’s heyday in the ’70’s. Although the band had a reputation as a mouthpiece for humourist Shel Silverstein, who supplied several of their biggest hits (including “The Cover of Rolling Stone”), they didn’t rely exclusively on his material by any means.

And, during their peak years, they were just as famed for their crazed stage antics, which ranged from surreal banter to impersonating their own opening acts. The band was formed in Union City, NJ, in 1968, when a young singer/songwriter named Dennis Locorriere teamed up with Alabama-born country-rocker Ray Sawyer. Sawyer‘s distinctive stage presence stemmed from his enormous cowboy hat and an eye patch that hid injuries from a serious car accident in 1967. Sharing the spotlight on guitar and lead vocals, the duo teamed up with Sawyer‘s band mates from a group called the Chocolate Papers: George Cummings (lead and steel guitars),Billy Francis (keyboards), and Popeye Phillips (drums). Phillips soon moved home to Alabama and was replaced by local drummer John “Jay” David. Sawyer‘s eye patch inspired the nickname Dr. Hook, after the Captain Hook character in Peter Pan; with the rest of the band christened the Medicine Show(a possible drug reference), they began playing some of the roughest bars in the Union City area, concentrating mostly on country music out of sheer necessity.

Anxious to find a more hospitable environment, the band recorded some demos, and in early 1970 their manager played the tapes for Ron Haffkine, who was working as musical director for the film Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Haffkine had been looking for bands to perform the songs written for the soundtrack by Shel Silverstein, an ex-folkie, Playboy cartoonist, and children’s author who’d penned Johnny Cash‘s hit “A Boy Named Sue.” He took an instant liking to Locorriere‘s voice, and became the group’s manager and producer, signing them to record “Last Morning” for the film soundtrack and also landing a deal with CBS. Silverstein wrote all the songs for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show‘s self-titled debut album, which was released in 1971. The single “Sylvia’s Mother,” 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 (even if many listeners took it as sincere).

That year, the band added a full-time bassist in Jance Garfat, as well as another lead guitarist, Rik Elswit. Their second album, Sloppy Seconds, was again written by Silverstein, and featured more risqué material, perhaps in response to the success of “Sylvia’s Mother.” “The Cover of Rolling Stone,” written specifically to get the band featured on same, became another Top Ten smash in early 1973, and Rolling Stone soon granted the band’s wish. However, following it up proved difficult. Drummer David left the group in 1973, to be replaced by John Wolters; the title of their next album, Belly Up, was unfortunately prophetic, and the band filed for bankruptcy in 1974 (partly as a way to get out of their contract with CBS). Now known simply as Dr. Hook, they signed with Capitol in 1975, debuting with Bankrupt, which began to feature more group originals.

A cover of Sam Cooke‘s “Only Sixteen” returned them to the Top Ten in 1976 and revitalized their career; although Cummings left the band that year, further hits followed over the next few years in “A Little Bit More,” “Sharing the Night Together,” “When You’re in Love With a Woman,” and “Sexy Eyes.” 1979’s Pleasure & Pain became their first gold album, cementing the band’s transition into disco-tinged balladeers. However, Elswit had to leave the band for a year after developing cancer; he was replaced by Bob “Willard” Henke, who remained in the line-up after Elswit‘s return. Ray Sawyer, however, did not; dissatisfied with their newly commercial direction, he departed in 1980, robbing Dr. Hook of, well, Dr. Hook.

With Rod Smarr replacing Henke, the remainder of the band switched from Capitol to Casablanca, with very little success; after a few bill-paying tours, they finally gave up the ghost in 1985.Locorriere became a session and touring vocalist, backing Randy Travis in 1989, and in 1996 recorded the solo LP Running With Scissors. Sawyer still tours under the Dr. Hook name, though he licenses it from Locorriere. Drummer Wolters died of cancer in 1997. –o– Dr Hook Featuring Ray Sawyer Oep live ! exclusively presents for the first time in the UK for many years DR HOOK featuring RAY SAWYER Click here for a memory jerker : Back in the UK Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, shortened in 1975 to Dr. Hook, was an American rock band, formed around Union City, New Jersey. They enjoyed considerable commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles including "Sylvia's Mother", "The Cover of Rolling Stone", "A Little Bit More" and "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman".

In addition to their own material, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show performed songs written by the poet Shel Silverstein. The band had eight years of regular chart hits, in both the U.S. and the UK, and greatest success with their later gentler material, as Dr. Hook. When told by a club owner that they needed a name to put on a poster in the window of his establishment, Cummings made a sign: "Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: Tonic for the Soul". The "Hook" name was inspired by Sawyer's eyepatch and a reference to "Captain Hook" of the Peter Pan fairy tale, though, humorously, because Captain Hook was neither a doctor nor wore an eyepatch. The "medicine show" and "doctor" (referring to the shows common in the 19th century) were intended as tongue-in-cheek support for drug abuse. Ray Sawyer lost an eye in a near-fatal car crash in Oregon in 1967, and has worn an eyepatch ever since.[1] To this day, Sawyer is considered Dr. Hook because of the eyepatch he wears.

And here is the hits list :- "Carry Me, Carrie" The Cover of a Rolling Stone ‘ Roland The Roadie an Gertrude The Groupie’ ‘Only Sixteen’ ‘A Little bit more’ If Not You’ More Like The Movies’ ‘Sharing the Night Together’ ‘When you are in Love with a beautiful women ‘ ‘Sexy Eyes’ ‘Better Love Next Time’ ‘Sylvia’s Mother ‘and more………. Showings Find out more about cookies Your Cookie Settings This website uses cookies to remember information about how you use it. This information is used to deliver a personalised and efficient service as well as to improve the site. Cookies are very small text files that are stored on your computer when you visit websites. Cookies from this website will never contain sensitive information and are only used by this website or trusted partners. You may remove any cookies which may have been already stored on your computer by navigating to your browser privacy options. Deleting cookies may prevent you from using this website. Use the slider below to choose which cookies you wish to ALLOW.

Ray Sawyer (Singer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Ray Sawyer Male Born Feb 1, 1937 Ray "Eye Patch" Sawyer is a singer best known as a vocalist with the 1970s rock band, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. related links Treasure Coast Music Calendar, Updated Sept. 16 Tc Palm Google News - Sep 16, 2011 'Treasure Coast Music Festival: Brian Howe, Player, Dr. Hook Featuring <mark>Ray Sawyer</mark>, Pat Travers, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, Amanda Overmyer, Ever So Klever, Cat Shell, 3rd Stone, Suite Caroline, VK Lynne, Amber Leigh, Passerine, Scott Lindsey' Music Calendar, Updated Sept.

9 Tc Palm Google News - Sep 09, 2011 'Treasure Coast Music Festival: Brian Howe, Player, Dr Hook Featuring <mark>Ray Sawyer</mark>, Pat Travers, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, Amanda Overmyer, Ever So Klever, Cat Shell, 3rd Stone, Suite Caroline, VK Lynne, Amber Leigh, Passerine, Scott Lindsey' El Espacio Que NaciÃ³ De La Mente De Un Coleccionista El TelÃ©grafo Ecuador Google News - Sep 05, 2011 'AllÃ­ es cuando interviene la locutora al decir que, a finales de la dÃ©cada del setenta, el tema que popularizaron dos de las voces del grupo de pop rock country Dr. Hook, Dennis Locorriere y el tuerto <mark>Ray Sawyer</mark>, quien perdiÃ³ su ojo derecho en un' Vip Ticket Pricing Announced For Treasure Coast Music Festival Market Watch (Press Release) Google News - Aug 26, 2011 'Performers appearing at the festival include legendary Bad Company former lead singer Brian Howe, Dr.

Hook Featuring <mark>Ray Sawyer</mark>, Player, Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot, Pat Travers, Amanda Overmyer, Ever So Klever, VK Lynne, Scott Lindsey, 3rd Stone,' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Ray Sawyer. CHILDHOOD 1937 Birth Born in 1937. TWENTIES 1959 22 Years Old In 1959 he signed with Sandy Records. … Read More Sawyer's first single was "Rockin' Satellite", released in 1960, followed by "I'm Gonna Leave" (Sandy, 1037). Read Less 1965 28 Years Old In 1965, he played in the Chocolate Papers with several musicians who later became members of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. … Read More Sawyer has been touring the United States, Canada and Countries Overseas, since the break-up of Dr. Hook in 1984, with a new band.<br /><br /> Sawyer believes his style blends the black and white Southern music of Alabama dance halls and clubs.

He said "you play either Country or Rhythm & Blues, though down there they are just about the same thing. It's two races talking about their lives". Read Less THIRTIES Show Less Sawyer's trademark eye patch was acquired following a 1967 auto accident that left him without his right eye and kept him laid up for two years. Sawyer lost his right eye in a 1967 automobile accident that left him with his signature eyepatch. … Read More He said the following about his life around the time of his accident: "I must have played all the clubs from Houston to Charleston until I decided I was going insane from too much beans and music, and I gave it up. I saw a John Wayne movie and proceeded to Portland, Oregon, to be a logger complete with plaid shirt, Colk boots, and Pike pole. On the way my car slipped on the road and the accident left me with the eye patch I now wear.

When I recovered I ran straight back to the beans and music and vowed, Here I'll stay." Read Less 1968 31 Years Old When he was back on his feet, Ray set out for Los Angeles in 1968, working his way back East to New York where the nucleus of Dr. Hook was formed in time to record the score to a Dustin Hoffman film Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? … Read More He accumulated 60 Gold & Platinum Records worldwide with Dr. Hook.<br /><br /> He still tours and his son Cayce has been touring with him since he was 13, playing percussion and singing background vocals in the show. Now he is the drummer for the band. Ray had the Honor of being Inducted into the âAlabama Music Hall Of Fameâ in April 2005. Read Less Original Authors of this text are noted on . Ray Sawyer - Bio, Facts, Family | Famous Birthdays Ray Sawyer Aquarius Named Ray#5 About American vocalist best known as the singer for the 1970s band Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.

He was a renowned figure for the eyepatch and cowboy hat that he would wear on stage. Before Fame He began putting out music in the early 1960s and formed Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show in 1968. Trivia He lost his right eye in a car accident, which led to the wearing of his signature eye patch. Dr. Hook & Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother - Acoustic Cover by Jogo1209 - YouTube Dr. Hook & Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother - Acoustic Cover by Jogo1209 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Feb 12, 2013 The band had two lead singers: Ray Sawyer (with the eye patch) and Dennis Locorriere. It was Locorriere, then 20 years old, who sang on this one, delivering the vocal with sincere sorrow.

Many of Shel Silverstein's songs for the band were works of comedy ("Roland the Roadie and Gertrude the Groupie," "The Cover Of Rolling Stone), and Dr. Hook had a bawdy stage show that wasn't to be taken seriously, so not everyone picked up that this was a serious song about heartbreak. "A surprising number of people thought it was a parody but I always saw it as a truly heartbreaking story and I did my best to portray the anxiety and sadness that I knew that poor guy in the phone booth would be feeling," Locorriere told us. Dr. Hook's next single, "Carry Me, Carrie," was another serious heartbreak song written by Silverstein. Sylvia's Mother was the group's first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein and was highly successful in the United States, reaching #5 on the Billboard singles chart, as well as #1 in Ireland and #2 in the United Kingdom. It was covered also by country singer Bobby Bare in 1972 Please read the whole, very interesting story about the real Sylvia here:

Question: Which 'Dr. Hook' member wore the eye patch?
Answer: Ray Sawyer