Patrick Simmons (born October 19, 1948) is an American musician best known as a founding member of the rock band

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

. Born in

Aberdeen, Washington Aberdeen () is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,013 at the 2020 census. The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis. Aberdeen is occasi ...

, he has been the only consistent member of the band throughout their tenure. Simmons wrote and sang many songs for the Doobie Brothers, including "South City Midnight Lady", "Dependin' On You", " Echoes of Love", " Wheels of Fortune" and " Black Water", the group's first #1 record. The Doobie Brothers initially disbanded in 1982, largely on account of Simmons's decision to leave the group, as he was its sole remaining original member. In 1983, Simmons released his first solo album, ''Arcade'', on

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

. It yielded his only top 40 hit, "So Wrong", which peaked at #30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "So Wrong" was also a surprise hit on the US dance/disco chart, peaking at #8. The album was reissued on compact disc in Japan in the early 1990s and again in 2007, by the label

Wounded Bird Records Wounded Bird Records is an American compact disc only re-issue record label that was founded in 1998 in Guilderland, New York. They re-release lesser known albums from popular and lesser known artists, including Paul Butterfield, Cactus, Herb ...

. Simmons also formed the band Skin Suit during this period. In 1998, Simmons released a second solo album titled ''Take Me to the Highway''. He was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

as a member of The Doobie Brothers in 2020.

Personal life

Simmons was raised in San Jose, California, where his father was a high school educator. He attended

San José State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...

where he was a member of the

Theta Xi Theta Xi () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on April 29, 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. Its ...

fraternity and lived for many years in

Santa Cruz County, California Santa Cruz County (), officially the County of Santa Cruz, is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County comprises the San ...

. In 1981 he opened a vintage motorcycle shop with author William J. Craddock. Simmons moved to

Mendocino County, California Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish for "of Mendoza) is a county located on the North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,601. The county seat is Ukiah. Mendocino County consists whol ...

in 1990 after the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, and later to Hawaii. He met his wife Cristine in 1989 in

Sturgis, South Dakota Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 7,020 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Meade County and is named after Samuel D. Sturgis, a Union general during the Civil War. Sturgis is notabl ...

at the

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, and the surrounding Black Hills region of the United States. It began in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts a ...

. They both enjoy riding antique motorcycles, participating in the 2014 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Ride. They participated in the 2016 Motorcycle Cannonball, riding from

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

. With Tom Johnston, Simmons wrote ''Long Train Runnin': Our Story of The Doobie Brothers'' (2022).

Discography

With the Doobie Brothers

Solo albums

*1983 - ''

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

'' *1995 - ''Take Me to the Highway''

Solo singles

*1983 - "So Wrong" *1983 - "Don't Make Me Do It"

References

1948 births American rock guitarists American male guitarists Living people People from Aberdeen, Washington Musicians from San Jose, California American male singers American rock singers Elektra Records artists The Doobie Brothers members Lead guitarists Fingerstyle guitarists Guitarists from California 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians The Sky Kings members {{US-guitarist-stub