Dennis Locorriere, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for Dr. Hook, died Saturday at the age of 76.
The rocker’s death was announced via a statement on the band’s website.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dennis Locorriere, who, after a long and courageous battle with kidney disease, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on May 16, 2026,” it read. “Dennis faced his illness with remarkable strength, dignity, and resilience throughout, and remained deeply cherished by all who knew him. He will be remembered for his warmth, love, and the lasting impact he had on those around him.”
Dennis Locorriere’s Rock History
Locorriere was born in New Jersey on June 13, 1949. In 1968, he was recruited by George Cummings, Ray Sawyer and Billy Francis – who had worked together in a previous band – to form a new group. They eventually landed on the name Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, later shortened just to Dr. Hook.
In 1970, an appearance in the Dustin Hoffman film Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? helped the band land their first record contract.
With a distinctive country pop-rock sound, Dr. Hook enjoyed great success throughout the ‘70s. Hits like “Sylvia’s Mother,” “The Cover of Rolling Stone,” “Only Sixteen,” “Sharing the Night Together” and “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” earned them a national following. Their final Top 10 hit, “Sexy Eyes,” was released in 1980.
Watch Dr. Hook Perform ‘Sexy Eyes’
“We started, we were a bar band. We were playing whatever it took to keep us from being killed,” Locorriere recalled of Dr. Hook’s history during a 2015 interview with 100% Rock Magazine. “ I mean – country music, anything. They’d come up and say, ‘do you know how to play… [such and such]?’ and we’d say, ‘yes we do.’ That’s what you did. Then we went out on the road, we had some success, we were support for a lot of different bands like Alice Cooper, and Kiss, and Sly & the Family Stone, and Blues Festivals, and Frank Zappa, and the Eagles. We had to fit everywhere and we did. We were that kind of band.”
Dr. Hook embarked on a farewell tour in 1985, and Locorriere later enjoyed a solo career. He also retained the rights to the band’s name and regularly toured under the Dr. Hook moniker. In total, Locorriere released 14 studio albums – 11 with Dr. Hook and three solo.
Several of the songs Locorriere wrote or co-wrote were also recorded by other notable artists, including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis and Olivia Newton John.
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