Ray Sawyer with his cowboy hat and eye patch
Sawyer, perhaps best known for singing lead vocal on “Cover
of Rolling Stone,” passed away in Daytona Beach, Fla., according to his
publicist. No cause of death was given, but we’re told that Sawyer suffered a brief illness from which he didn’t recover.
“Ray Sawyer, an original member of Dr. Hook from 1969-1981,
passed away this morning,” the statement read. “We send our condolences to his
family at this difficult time.”
Born in Alabama in 1937, Sawyer was working as a logger in
Oregon when he lost of his right eye in a car crash. His trademark eyepatch
reminded his bandmates of Peter Pan’s nemesis Captain Hook and they named their
act Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. The band released its first album in
1972.
With Sawyer in the band, the abbreviated Dr. Hook scored hits with songs like Sylvia’s Mother, When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman, and Cover of the Rolling Stone. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
SOURCE: Otago Daily Times
