Doobie Brothers Drummer Michael Hossack Dead at 65
Michael Hossack of the Doobie Brothers died Monday (March 12) of cancer. The drummer, who was in the band from 1971 to 1973 and then again from 1987 to 2010, was 65 years old.
According to the Lake County News, the musician known to his friends as ‘Big Mike’ was surrounded by family at his Wyoming home when he passed away. Hossack joined the group in 1971 and first appeared on record with their ‘Toulouse Street’ album the next year. He went on to perform on two more of the Doobie Brothers’ early popular albums, and on hits such as ‘China Grove,’ ‘Long Train Runnin’,’ and ‘Black Water.’
He left the lineup in 1973, but when the Doobies reunited in 1987 following a five-year retirement, Hossack was back on board and remained with the group — with a few brief departures, including one for a 2001 motorcycle accident — until he went on medical leave to deal with his health battle back in 2010.
Hossack, who served in the U.S. Navy prior to his time in the Doobie Brothers and was an avid outdoorsman, leaves behind a son and a daughter. No official comment on his passing has been posted by the band as of this posting.
Watch the Doobie Brothers Perform ‘Listen to the Music’