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By: Clyde Bradley
One of the most
recognizable and successful southern rock outfits to catapult out of the
Jacksonville, Florida southern rock explosion, Molly Hatchet, has soldiered on
for almost three decades. But like so many groups that have lasted this long,
member changes were more the norm than the exception. As a matter of fact, until
recently, the group had been touring for several years without a single original
member taking the stage.
The group’s original
line-up consisted of vocalist Danny Joe Brown, bassist Banner Thomas, drummer
Bruce Crump, and the triple guitar attack of Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland and
Duane Roland.
The six southern rockers released their self-titled, debut album in 1978,
followed by 1979’s Flirtin with Disaster. The group’s third album saw
the exit of front man Danny Joe Brown. Brown went on to form the Danny Joe Brown
Band with future Molly Hatchet guitarist, Bobby Ingram and was replaced by Jimmy
Farrar. After two albums with Farrar, Brown returned to the Molly Hatchet fold
for their fifth album. But at the same time Brown returned, bassist Banner
Thomas, and drummer Bruce Crump parted ways with the band and were replaced by
Riff West and Mothers Finest drummer Barry Borden.
Thomas settled back into Jacksonville. He became the original bassist for a
Jacksonville based band called Big Engine in 1990. In 1992, Thomas left Big
Engine but remained an active musician playing with several different Florida
based bands. He returned to Big Engine in 2000 where he currently remains. To
date Big Engine has released 8 CDs and a DVD.
Crump initially headed for
California but eventually found himself north of the border in Canada. While in
Canada, Crump played in a group called Streetheart. Original Streetheart
members, Paul Dean and Matt Frenette eventually went on to form Loverboy.
Crump’s time with Streetheart would be short-lived, however, not due to musical
issues but thanks to international law. His visa only allowed him to work in
Canada for six-months. So when that time was up, he headed back to the States.
And upon his return, Crump was pleasantly surprised to find the drum throne of
Molly Hatchet available. Barry Borden decided to go back to Atlanta and spend
some time with family, opening the door for Crump’s return.
As time went on, members
shifted here and there but the Molly Hatchet tradition carried on. Perhaps the
most notable change of that era was when original guitarist, Dave Hlubek left
the group, opening the door for ex-Danny Joe Brown Band axeman, Bobby Ingram,
who eventually went on to become the new leader of Molly Hatchet. Crump gives
the following account of that, as well as other roster changes along the way;
“Bobby’s history kind of
goes back and parallels ours and then it splits off at different points,” says
Crump. “Danny Joe Brown was the singer in a band called Rum Creek before he even
joined Molly Hatchet. We started out as a four-piece. Then we added Danny. Then
we recruited Duane Roland because Banner and I knew Duane. We played together in
a band briefly and knew Duane would be an awesome addition. When Danny Joe Brown
left the band, he formed a band called the Danny Joe Brown Band and Bobby Ingram
was the guitar player. So when that fell apart, Danny returned to Molly Hatchet.
It’s kind of like a big soap opera with a revolving door full of musicians.
Danny got back into Molly Hatchet and then I came back after a two-year hiatus.
We did another couple of records, then Dave Hlubek decided that there were some
extra curricular activities- if you know what I mean- that were more important
than the band. So we decided it was time for a change and the logical choice, of
course, was Bobby Ingram.”
After Ingram was in place,
Molly Hatchet signed a new record deal with Capitol Records. After somewhat
disappointing results from this release, this version of Molly Hatchet decided
that it was time to take a break and went on a year-long getaway. At the end of
the year, the expected reunion was postponed and Brown and Ingram began playing
together again.
“The Capitol records thing
was hyped up in a big way, but it never really went anywhere,” said Crump. “So
we decided maybe it was time to take a breather. We had been on the road for 12,
13 years. Then I guess the hiatus lasted a little too long for some of the guys
so Bobby and Danny put a band together and went out and started playing and the
next thing you know, that turned into Molly Hatchet. So the rest of us, being
happy and content with our own lives at that point decided that was okay.”
So Brown carried on with
Ingram and company as the sole original member of Molly Hatchet. Brown, who
suffered from Diabetes along with other health issues, took a few breaks in the
action along the way. Current Molly Hatchet lead vocalist, Phil McCormack, would
fill in from time to time to give Brown a break from the grueling pace of life
on the road with Molly Hatchet. After suffering from a massive stroke in 1998,
Brown left the group for good and Molly Hatchet officially became a group void
of original members. Brown passed away on March 10, 2005 at his Florida home.
Hlubek resurfaced some
time later in the Southern Rock Allstars, a four-piece southern rock outfit
co-founded by former Blackfoot drummer Jackson Spires and Jay Johnson, son of
the legendary Jimmy Johnson of Swapper Sounds fame. Another familiar Molly
Hatchet face, lead vocalist Jimmy Farrar, eventually found his way into the SRA
line-up as well. One day Farrar picked up the telephone and invited his old
friend and band mate, Duane Roland, out to a SRA show. Roland resisted
initially, but eventually accepted the invitation. He showed up with his guitar
and followed the band around for three days, sitting in during some old Hatchet
songs. So when Hlubek announced his planned departure from SRA, Farrar nominated
Roland as his replacement. Roland had put performing behind him after the Molly
Hatchet hiatus. He returned to Florida where he first started his own
electronics equipment sales business and later became a supervisor with a major
internet company. But his three-day mini tour with SRA rekindled a flame deep
down inside Roland that he thought had been extinguished years earlier. “When I
left Molly Hatchet I was so sick of the fricken’ road, I never wanted to see it
again,” Roland told me in an interview for Classicrockrevisited.com shortly
after joining SRA. “But when I walked out on stage with these guys- I don’t
know what it was. Maybe I was in denial for that many years. But this just
seemed so right.”
Unfortunately, Roland’s
time with SRA would be brief due to health complications from a hip replacement.
He bowed out after only about six months and was replaced by guitarist, Scott
Mabrey. This marked the first time in SRA’s history that the group went on
without an original Molly Hatchet axe-slinger in their fold.
In the meantime, word of
Brown’s failing health got back to Molly Hatchet’s second bassist, Riff West.
West decided to help out his old band mate with mounting medical bills by
organizing a fundraiser. With the exception of Roland, all the original Molly
Hatchet members, along with West and Farrar showed up and rocked the night away.
“Once we got on stage, we
realized there was something special there,’” recalls Crump. “I remember
afterwards someone asking me if we would consider doing it again. And I said
‘no, this was a one-time thing for Danny.’ That was the real reason we were
there.”
But a seed had been
planted that night. The roots remained dormant for many years but eventually
took hold. Keith Johnson, an old Molly Hatchet road manager who was at the event
called Crump about five years later with a proposition. “He said I can’t stop
thinking about how special it was that night- would you guys consider it?” said
Crump. “And enough time had passed where we were actually able to give it some
attention and decided it was a good idea.”
So Crump and the original
Molly Hatchet guitar trio, along with West and Farrar, decided to bring the
original Molly Hatchet triple guitar sound back to life in a band they would
call Gator Country, named in honor of one of Molly Hatchet’s most popular, early
hits. In the 11th hour of the formation of Gator Country, however,
Hlubek accepted an offer to return to the Molly Hatchet line-up and bowed out of
Gator Country. Determined to recreate the original Molly Hatchet triple guitar
sound, Crump called on an old band mate from his post Hatchet days, Virginia
guitarist Linni Dissi.
Gator Country hit the road
and found success at festivals around the country. But just as momentum was
growing, tragedy struck earlier this year when Roland suddenly passed away. “If
you look at all the Molly Hatchet records, Duane was the only common
denominator,” said Crump in honor of his departed band mate and long time
friend. “There were some changes along the way. I left for two years. Banner
Thomas left and was replaced with Riff West. Guitar players came and went. Steve
Holland left and we got a keyboard player. But Duane was always the constant. I
think a huge part of the reason that our records sounded so great was because of
Duane, because he was such a solid player and when it came time to cut songs, he
was just a rock.”
After a considerable
amount of soul-searching, the boys of Gator Country decided it was time to carry
on. “We all miss Duane terribly but we realized that we’re not going to stop
being musicians because we lost him,” said Crump. “So we decided the best thing
to do is continue playing together because he would want that.”
Gator Country had a friend
and fan in the form of ex-UFO guitarist Paul Chapman. Chapman was currently
living in Florida and volunteered to fill in until the group had a permanent
replacement for Roland. But it didn’t take long to realize Chapman was the
perfect replacement for Roland and that’s where the band stands today.
“If you research the
history of Molly Hatchet, our very first tour back in 1978 was with REO
Speedwagon and UFO,” Crump said. “So some of these things come full circle and I
think they happen for a reason. We were blessed to know Duane for as long as we
did but we were in a position where Paul was available and we begged him to come
on board, and he graciously accepted. So here we are.”
Check out Gator Country’s website at
www.gatorcountryrocks.com|
Check out Banner Thomas’ band Big Engine at
www.bigengine.com
Check out the Southern Rock Allstars at
www.southernrock.com |
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