R.I.P. Michael.

DOOBIE BROTHERS: Drummer Dies

Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack died Monday at his home in Dubois, Wyoming. He was 65. Hossack had taken leave from the band in 2010 when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Hossack joined the Doobies as their second drummer in 1971 and can be heard on such hits as "Listen to The Music," "China Grove," "Long Train Runnin" and "Black Water." He left the band in 1974 and started drumming with other acts before becoming a partner in the Hollywood studio Chateau Recorders. Hossack was part of the Doobies' reunion shows in 1987 and stayed on in the band's new incarnation until 2010. He took a break from the band in 2001 after being in a severe motorcycle accident.

Two of the original Doobie Brothers issued statements about Hossack:

• Tom Johnston: "Mike has always been a part of my musical life and the life of the Doobie Brothers...He was an incredible musician, a studio quality drummer.The last few years, he was brave and determined to keep on playing in the face of ill health, and I will always admire him for that."
• Pat Simmons: "When my kids were little, they used to call him Big Mike, because to them he was such a big guy. But to me and those who knew him, he had an even a bigger heart."

Hossack is the fourth member of The Doobie Brothers to pass away. Percussionist Bobby LaKind succumbed to cancer in 1992; horn player Cornelius Bumpus died of a heart attack in 2004; and pneumonia claimed drummer Keith Knudsen in 2005. In 2010, bassist Skylark took a leave of absence following a stroke, and is still recovering.