Dale Ockerman

Dale Ockerman is a keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter who has worked with a variety of internationally recognized musicians since the late 1960s. He is best known for his association with the Doobie Brothers, where he was principal keyboardist and a guitarist with the reformed version of the band during the 1988–1996 period.

Prior to joining the Doobie Brothers, Ockerman had toured and co-written songs with Doobie Brothers' guitarist Patrick Simmons during the latter's solo tours. Four of his songs have been recorded by The Doobie Brothers and he appears on ten of the CDs issued by the band. He also has a long-standing association with members of Moby Grape, and has contributed to the solo work of Jerry Miller and Bob Mosley. The Grape's Peter Lewis thought highly enough of 16-year-old Ockerman's talent that Lewis loaned him some of his prized guitars, a Martin D-28 and a Black Les Paul custom for a year, to further develop his playing skills.

Ockerman's first professional performance was with the Quicksilver Messenger Service in 1971, when the band performed during the last weekend of Bill Graham's Fillmore West in San Francisco. After Quicksilver Messenger Service, Ockerman played with a number of California-based acts, including IAM, Snail, Airtight, The Ducks,Bill Champlin, Rita Coolidge, Steve Marriott,Tom Johnston,Michael McDonald and Coco Montoya. He also played with New Orleans musicians Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter, The Wild Magnolias and Cyril Neville. He also recorded with many of these performers, as well as working as a session musician with Bill Champlin and Jim Keltner, including a re-recording of "Nature Boy", the 1940's #1 hit for Nat King Cole, with song author, Eden Ahbez. Dale played piano, Prophet 5. guitar, melodica, and trumpet solo.

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