Dennis Locorriere, lead vocalist and guitarist of the offbeat ’70s nation rock band Dr. Hook And The Medication Present, has died at 76. “After an extended and brave battle with kidney illness, [he] handed away peacefully surrounded by his family members on Might sixteenth 2026,” reads a press release from his band’s web site. “Dennis confronted his sickness with outstanding power, dignity, and resilience all through, and remained deeply cherished by all who knew him. He will likely be remembered for his heat, love, and the lasting influence he had on these round him.”
Locorriere was born in 1949 in Union Metropolis, New Jersey, the place Dr. Hook shaped. The band’s debut album Physician Hook arrived in 1972 and was largely written by creator/poet Shel Silverstein, who by that time had already penned the Johnny Money hit “A Boy Named Sue.” The album was commercially profitable and spawned Dr. Hook’s first hit “Sylvia’s Mom.” Their sophomore album Sloppy Seconds arrived the next 12 months and included what’s now considered one of their greatest identified songs, “The Cowl Of ‘Rolling Stone,'” a satire on music trade clout that did, in reality, land them on the duvet of Rolling Stone (albeit in caricature kind).
Till their farewell tour in 1985, Dr. Hook had been prolific, releasing 11 studio albums in as a few years. Locorriere remained lively, releasing three studio albums beneath his title. He wrote songs made well-known by different artists, together with “You Ain’t Bought The Proper” by Olivia Newton-John, in addition to “A Couple Extra Years” which was recorded by Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan, and extra. He continued to constantly tour enjoying Dr. Hook’s music, till asserting final November that he was retiring.
