Dr Hook

Dr Hook 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.

Playing the New Jersey bar scene, one evening they impressed a talent scout looking for band to record a score for a film, and later backed Silverstein's singing on record. As a result, the band was signed to CBS Records. 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’, 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.

With the line-up augmented by Rik Elswit (guitar) and Jance Garfat (bass), the follow-up, Sloppy Seconds, was also penned entirely by Silverstein, and was attended by a U.S. top ten hit. 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 with ‘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.

Throughout the 80s, Dr. Hook's chart strikes were confined mainly to North America, becoming more sporadic as the decade wore on. New guitarists Bob Henke and Rod Smarr passed through the line-up, and in 1982 Sawyer left to pursue a solo career. Locorriere's efforts as a Nashville-based songwriter had all but put the tin lid on Dr. Hook by the mid-80s.

Throughout the 90s Sawyer toured under the Dr. Hook name, though he licensed it from Locorriere. Drummer Wolters died of cancer in 1997. 

Countdown appearances

• 30th may 1982, episode 330 – Countdown hosted by Dennis Loccoriere and Ray Sawyer from Dr Hook with feature studio performance.
• 13th February 1981, episode 272 – hosted by Dr Hook