Long Train Runnin'

Summary

For the first time, the incredible true story of the legendary band, The Doobie Brothers, written by the founding members.
Only a very few rock bands that have had the longevity, success, and drama of The Doobie Brothers. Born out of late 1960s NoCal, they stood alongside their contemporaries The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, and many others as an iconic American rock band. The train was rolling along, hits were flowing like wine, and arenas were packed with fans who wanted to see them live... then Tom Johnston, the band’s front man and lead guitarist, almost died.

The Doobies' train came to a screeching halt. All of a sudden the band started contemplating the end of the road only seven years into their career, just as things were taking off.

This was actually far from the end. A soul-steeped backup singer for Steely Dan named Michael McDonald took a shot at singing some of the Doobies' songs on tour, and all of a sudden a new chapter in the Doobie Brothers' story began. The band changed their sound and had numerous number one hits with their new front man. Tom recovered from his health issues, but the band had moved on. When it came time for a reunion concert in the ’80s, Tom got the call and was back in the mix. They’ve been touring ever since and maintain a massive fan base the world over.

Never before have they shared their story, in their own words. In Long Train Runnin’ they’ll change that.

Contributor Bio(s)
PAT SIMMONS and TOM JOHNSTON are founding members of The Doobie Brothers, 4 time Grammy winners and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. Their album Best of the Doobies has sold more than 12 million copies, achieving the rare Diamond Certification (less than 100 albums have done this).

CHRIS EPTING is the author of many books including the music memoir Adrenalized (with Phil Collen). As a music journalist he has written extensively for the Huffington Post, Ultimate Classic Rock and many others.