Michael Hossack
October 17, 1946 – March 12, 2012
Michael Hossack was a rock drummer who is perhaps best remembered for his tenure with the Doobie Brothers. After serving in Vietnam for the US Navy, Hossack returned home where he joined a band called Mourning Reign. He soon caught the ear of the Doobie Brothers who invited him to jam at one of their shows. The year was 1971, and the band was impressed enough to hire him to play alongside John Hartman as dual drummers. Hossack went on to play on such classic Doobie Brothers albums as Toulouse Street, The Captain And Me, and What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. In 1974, he left the group to take a break from the grueling tour lifestyle. He continued on with other acts for the next several years. In 1987, the original Doobie Brothers got back together for a series of shows to benefit Vietnam vets. Hossack, a Vietnam vet himself, was asked to come along. The tour was such a success that the group officially reunited and signed with Capitol Records for their comeback album, Cycles, of 1989. Hossack continued to record and perform with the band until 2010, when he left after being diagnosed with cancer. Michael Hossack ultimately died of the cancer on March 12, 2012. He was 65.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.