Doobie Brothers - Band Formation

Drummer John Hartman arrived in California in 1969 determined to meet Skip Spence of Moby Grape and join an aborted Grape reunion. Spence introduced Hartman to singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Johnston and the two proceeded to form the nucleus "The Doobie Brothers" Johnston and Hartman called their fledgling group "Pud", and experimented with lineups and styles as they performed in and around San Jose. They were mostly a power trio but briefly worked with a horn section. In 1970 they teamed up with bass player Dave Shogren and singer, guitarist and songwriter Patrick Simmons. Simmons, who had belonged to several area groups, an acoustic trio with future Doobies bassist Tiran Porte and also performed as a solo artist, was already an accomplished fingerstyle player whose approach to the instrument complemented Johnston's rhythmic R&B strumming. In a recent interview, Johnston attributed the band's eventual name to friend and housemate Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who noted the guys' fondness for "doobies". They considered the new moniker an improvement over "pud" and named their band "Doobie Brothers".

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