Michael Hossack
| Michael Hossack | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Big Mike |
| Born |
October 17, 1946 Paterson, New Jersey United States |
| Died | March 12, 2012 (aged 65) Dubois, Wyoming United States |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Associated acts | The Doobie Brothers |
Michael Joseph Hossack (October 17, 1946 – March 12, 2012) was a drummer for the band The Doobie Brothers.
Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Hossack, known as "Big Mike" to his former band members, started playing drums in the Little Falls Cadets, a Boy Scout drum and bugle corps, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets and Fair Lawn Cadets. His discipline to play alongside other drummers came from the teachings of his instructors Bob Peterson, George Tuttle and Joe Whelan, all to whom he gave much credit.
After graduating high school, he served for four years in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. After being honorably discharged in 1969, he returned home to New Jersey to pursue a career in law enforcement, but a close friend talked him into auditioning for a California-based band called Mourning Reign. After a grueling stint in upstate New York, the band relocated to the San Francisco bay area and signed with a production company that had also signed the newly formed rock band, the Doobie Brothers.
Although Mourning Reign was short-lived, Hossack's abilities gained considerable exposure and having learned of his availability, was invited to jam with the Doobies in 1971. Little did he know that the "jam session" was an actual audition which took place at Bimbo's 365 Club. After hearing founding drummer John Hartman and Hossack together, the Doobies decided that having two drummers would beef up the rhythm section and so adopted the "dual drummers" sound pioneered by bands such as the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band. Hossack played alongside Hartman on the band's breakthrough albums Toulouse Street in 1972, The Captain and Me in 1973 and What Were Once Vices are Now Habits in 1974, which spawned the band's first #1 hit, "Black Water".
...
Wikipedia