The vocalist and guitarist was with the rock band since its inception in 1968, and performed hit singles like “Sylvia’s Mother” and “The Cover of Rolling Stone.”

Dr. Hook singer Dennis Locorriere dies at 76

The vocalist and guitarist was with the rock band since its inception in 1968, and performed hit singles like "Sylvia's Mother" and "The Cover of Rolling Stone."

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May 18, 2026 11:28 a.m. ET

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Dr. Hook singer Dennis Locorriere performing in 2017. Credit:

Debbie Hickey/Getty Images

- Dr. Hook founding member, vocalist, and guitarist Dennis Locorriere has died at age 76 following a battle with kidney disease.

- The rock musician helped launch the band in 1968, though the group eventually broke up in the early 1980s.

- The band would go on to release hits like "Sylvia's Mother" and "The Cover of Rolling Stone."

Dennis Locorriere, rock musician, guitarist, and lead vocalist of the band Dr. Hook, has died at age 76.

In a statement shared on the band's official website, Locorriere endured "a long and courageous battle with kidney disease" before dying Saturday "peacefully" and "surrounded by his loved ones."

The announcement said that Locorriere "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," the statement continued.

Dr. Hook singer Dennis Locorriere performing in 1980.

David Redfern/Redferns

"We would like to thank everyone who supported Dennis during his journey and ask for privacy for his loved ones as they grieve this profound loss," it concluded.

Founded in 1968 as Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show before the name was shortened to simply Dr. Hook, the country-rock band originated with New Jersey-born Locorriere as one of its debut members. The band would go on to release several rock hits, including the 1972 song "Sylvia's Mother," which reached No. 5 on the *Billboard* charts in the United States, as well as "The Cover of Rolling Stone*,*" which hit No. 6 later that same year.

The band released 11 full-length studio albums across its run, with Dr. Hook's final LP of original material, *Let Me Drink From Your Well*, dropping in 1983.

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Other Dr. Hook members who have died over the years include George Cummings in 2024 and Ray Sawyer in 2018.

Outside of his work with Dr. Hook, Locorriere released several solo albums in his later career, including *Out of the Dark* in 2000, *One of the Lucky Ones* in 2005, and 2010's *Post Cool*, his final proper album as a solo act.****Though the initial iteration of the band concluded in the early '80s, Locorriere ultimately retained the rights to the band's name, and used it as he continued to tour throughout his career.

Dennis Locorriere circa 1970.

Mick Hutson/Redferns

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In an interview that Locorriere shared online in 2025, he responded to a question about whether or not he missed "the Dr. Hook days" earlier in life.

"They were so long ago, it’s like asking me if I miss my school friends. It's a really long time ago," he said, calling it "cool" and "great" to be "on the road and successful" with his friends at the time.

“We were a bar band in concert, and it was fun to do it that way. But, I’ll tell you what I don’t miss, is being on the road 300 days a year,” he admitted. “I had a son, and I never saw him."

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