The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The band has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide throughout their career.[1][2] The group was inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.[3]

Drummer John Hartman arrived in California in 1969 determined to meet Skip Spence of Moby Grape and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Johnston and the two proceeded to form the nucleus of what would become The Doobie Brothers. Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud" and experimented with lineups (occasionally including Spence) and styles as they performed in and around San Jose. They were mostly a power trio (along with bassist Greg Murphy) but briefly worked with a horn section.

In 1970 they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups (among them "Scratch", an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porter) and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B strumming.

The Doobie Brothers improved their playing by performing live all over Northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberté in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and they continued playing the Chateau through the summer of 1975 (although some of these concerts did not include all band members and they were unannounced and of a completely impromptu nature). An energetic set of demos (eight of which were briefly and illegally released on Pickwick Records in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers, and have since been bootlegged on CD under that title and On Our Way Up as well, both with expanded song selections), showcased fuzz-toned dual lead electric guitars, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the rock group a contract at Warner Bros. Records.

The second album, Toulouse Street (which spawned the hits and classic rock staples, "Listen to the Music", and "Jesus Is Just Alright"), brought the band their breakthrough success after its release in July 1972. In collaboration with manager Bruce Cohn, producer Ted Templeman and engineer Donn Landee, the band put forward a more polished and eclectic set of songs. Pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat contributed keyboards for the first time, beginning a decades-long collaboration that included many recording sessions and even a two-week stint touring with the band in early 1974.[4] With an improved rhythm section and the songwriting of Johnston and Simmons, the Doobies' trademark sound - an amalgam of R&B, country, bluegrass, hard rock, roadhouse boogie, funk, and rock and roll - emerged fully formed.

A string of hits followed, including Johnston's "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove", from the 1973 album The Captain and Me. Other noteworthy songs on the album were Simmons' country-ish ode "South City Midnight Lady" and the explosive, hard rocking raveup "Without You", for which the entire band received songwriting credit. Onstage, the latter song would sometimes stretch into a 15-minute jam with additional lyrics ad-libbed by Johnston. A 1973 appearance on the debut episode of the television music variety show Don Kirshner's Rock Concert featured one such epic performance of the tune.

Origin San Jose, California, U.S.
Genres Hard rock, roots rock, country rock, swamp rock
Years active 1970–1982, 1987–present
Labels Warner Bros., Capitol, Arista
Associated acts Southern Pacific, Steely Dan, Tower of Power
Website www.doobiebros.com
Members Tom Johnston
Patrick Simmons
John McFee
John Cowan
Guy Allison
Marc Russo
Tony Pia
Ed Toth

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