Posted on 01/01/2019 3:42:04 PM PST by Eddie01
One of the founding members of the band Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show died this week after a brief illness.
According to Page Six, Ray Sawyer died Monday at age 81. He mostly sang in the background and played various percussion instruments in several of the band's songs, but he was on lead vocals for the 1972 hit "The Cover of Rolling Stone."
The song, written by cartoonist and writer Shel Silverstein, sang a tale about the band wanting to appear on the cover of the popular music magazine. Four months after the song was released, the band accomplished that feat.
Sawyer, George Cummings, Billy Francis, and Dennis Locorriere formed the band in 1968. The band released nine studio albums with Sawyer until he left in 1981 to pursue a solo career, according to Rolling Stone.
Sawyer toured from 1988-2015, at which point he stopped because of health issues. He was known for wearing an eye patch after losing his right eye in a car accident in 1967. The Alabama native also wore a cowboy hat.
*snip*
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Music used to be fun.
The lyrics were pretty clever. My favorite part:
We got a lot of little teenage blue eyed groupies
Who do anything we say
We got a genuine Indian Guru
Who's teaching us a better way
Obviously they were channeling The Beatles here.
Did Jim Stafford do that, too? It’s what I’m remembering
Heck, "One Toke Over Line" was even performed once on The Lawrence Welk Show.
That was a Sam Cooke song
It was covered by Dr. Hook on their “Bankrupt” album. Good version. Dennis L. was singing lead.
Back in the day (35+ yrs ago) before I weaned myself from the constantly listening to music addiction, I probably liked “when you’re in love with a beautiful woman” more than any of their other songs.
Over 41 years ago, guys certainly noticed my beautiful girlfriend. They later noticed my beautiful fiancé. And still later, they noticed my beautiful wife. Today, she’s the same lady, and still beautiful at 61 (and doesn’t wear a speck of makeup).
She loves Jesus Christ more than me. But I’m ok with that, because He tells her to love her husband. It’s a great system; I highly recommend it.
Yes but that was a good cover stripped of the schmaltzy accoutrements laid on the original and it landed @ the top 5. IIRC they did it on Bandstand
RIP Ray Sawyer.
Dr Hook is one of my all time favorites.
Sad to see the music icons we grew up pass on. On the bright side, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are still with us.
On the Cover of the Music City News--Buck Owens (1974)
When I think of Dr. Hook I think of ‘When you’re in Love With A Beautiful Woman”
Bump
RIP in the Sweet Lord’s arms.
Their music certainly added greatly to my days and nights.
Buncha happy white boys just being white boys. Is that even legal in America anymore?
Sigh...
Indeedy Dee...
You beat me - great song.
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