Molly Hatchet

1970s

Molly Hatchet was founded by guitarist Dave Hlubek in 1971. The band originated and was based in Jacksonville, Florida and shared influences and inspiration with what is perhaps the most well-known act in the Southern rock genre, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Steve Holland guitarist and Bass player Banner Thomas joined the Molly Hatchet Band in 1974. Bruce Crump would become the drummer in 1976 and guitarist Duane Roland taking his position in the band in 1975. Hlubek was the band's vocalist prior to Danny Joe Brown's entrance in early 1976. Hlubek along with Banner Thomas also wrote/ Co-Wrote and co-produced many of the band's songs. Hlubek has stated that the demise of Lynyrd Skynyrd opened the door for Molly Hatchet. Members of .38 Special referred the band to manager Pat Armstrong who, with partner Alan Walden, had briefly been co-manager of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1970. Ronnie Van Zant was slated to produce Molly Hatchet's first album, having helped in writing arrangements and directing rehearsals prior to his death. Molly Hatchet cut their first demos in Lynyrd Skynyrd's 8-track recording studio using their equipment. Other demos were cut in Jacksonville's Warehouse Studios. Warner Bros. Records expressed interest in the resulting recordings from these sessions. However, Molly Hatchet ended up being turned down by Warner Bros who instead picked Van Halen over Molly Hatchet. After this setback, Molly Hatchet toured the Florida roadhouse and bar circuit. About six months later, Epic Records signed the band to a recording contract and, in 1977, brought Tom Werman in as producer.

Werman, known for working with straight hard rock acts such as Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent, combined boogie, blues, and hard rock making Molly Hatchet's sound different from more country-influenced acts such as The Outlaws.

The band recorded and released their first album, Molly Hatchet in 1978 which was immediately followed by Flirtin' with Disaster in 1979. Molly Hatchet proceeded to tour behind the records building a larger fan base. Danny Joe Brown, lead singer, left the band in 1980 because of health and other reasons, only to return three years later.

Name and iconic cover art

Molly Hatchet took its name from a prostitute who allegedly mutilated and decapitated her clients. One iconic aspect of Molly Hatchet's image is that many of the band's album covers feature art inspired by heroic fantasy, several of which were painted by artists such as Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo and Paul R. Gregory.

1980s

After Danny Joe Brown left Molly Hatchet, he formed The Danny Joe Brown Band with former Rum Creek band mate, guitarist, Bobby Ingram and guitarist Steve Wheeler, and was replaced in Molly Hatchet by vocalist Jimmy Farrar, a native of La Grange, Georgia, where he was formerly lead singer for the local Southern rock band Raw Energy.

With the addition of Jimmy Farrar as lead singer, a new approach seemed to come to the band's sound. The earlier albums seem to some commentators to exhibit a distinct southern cultural influence – which seemed to change with the addition of Farrar on vocals. Danny Joe Brown's stage persona, gruff voice and cowboy horse-whistling was replaced with Jimmy Farrar's new vocal style, mixed with a new harder-rocking sound.

With the success of the next album, the Beatin' the Odds release, the band ventured even farther away from the southern rock sound of their first albums. By 1981, Molly Hatchet had evolved to a straight-ahead rock style and a slicker production, exhibited on the Take No Prisoners release of the same year. The band remained a successful act on the touring circuit. Founding member and bass player Banner Thomas left in November 1981 and was replaced by Riff West, while Farrar also left Molly Hatchet in late 1982 for personal reasons. He would later rejoin other members of Molly Hatchet in Southern Rock Allstars and Gator Country.

Brown rejoined the band in Late 1982 after the departure of Farrar, while B. B. Borden (also known as B. B. Queen as a member of the funk rock band Mother's Finest) replaced Crump on drums, who had moved to Los Angeles and would later end up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, playing and recording with Canadian rockers Streetheart. In 1983, this line-up released a new album titled No Guts...No Glory. Steve Holland left in 1984 and was replaced by Ex-Danny Joe Brown Band keyboardist John Galvin, ending the Molly Hatchet characteristic of having three lead guitarists. This period saw the band return to the more overt southern style it had displayed on its debut record in 1978. Critics hailed No Guts...No Glory as the band's return to form, and did rejuvenate interest from the band's fan base, who had started to drift after Take No Prisoners album of 1981.

In 1984 the album The Deed Is Done was recorded and released, a straightforward pop/rock offering, with Bruce Crump returning on drums. In 1985, the double live album Double Trouble Live was released. The greatest hits collection Greatest Hits was released in 1990, with sales reaching gold status. Hlubek left Molly Hatchet in early 1987. In 1989, the album Lightning Strikes Twice was released, the first to feature Hlubek's replacement Bobby Ingram, who had already been a guitarist in The Danny Joe Brown Band. In 1990 Molly Hatchet announced at a show in Ohio that the show would be their final one, that after that night the band would be disbanding.

1990s

In 1991 a revised band reformed by Brown and Ingram in a new line-up of Molly Hatchet played selected shows and tours, but didn't record a new album for five years, until the mid-1990s, when Molly Hatchet began working on a new studio album with German producer Kalle Trapp. In April, 1995, after continuing health problems, Brown had to once again leave the band, bringing in lead singer Phil McCormack (formerly of The Roadducks) to Record the 1996 album Devil's Canyon.

During the rest of the 1990s, the band's line-up did not feature any of the original members who had performed in Molly Hatchet prior to 1984. Bobby Ingram obtained the trademark ownership to work with the name. At this point, the band consisted of vocalist Phil McCormack, guitarists Bobby Ingram and Bryan Bassett (formerly of Wild Cherry), keyboardist John Galvin, bassist Andy McKinney, and drummer Mac Crawford. In 1998, this line-up band recorded the album Silent Reign of Heroes.

In 1999, the band traveled coast to coast with Charlie Daniels and the Volunteer Jam. Jacksonville guitarist and longtime friend of Bobby Ingram.

2000s

In 2000, the album Kingdom of XII was recorded and released in Europe, and the band then toured Europe to promote the album. It was released in the United States in 2001. Locked and Loaded, 25th Anniversary: Best of Re-Recorded (2003) and Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge (2005) followed.

Danny Joe Brown left the group because of health reasons in 1995. At his request Bobby Ingram kept the band together. Despite a long battle with diabetes and the effects of the stroke, Brown was able to take the stage one last time at the Jammin' for DJB benefit concert in July 1999 in Orlando, Florida. With the help of his friends and former original members Bruce Crump, Banner Thomas, Steve Holland, and Dave Hlubek, he ended the show with "Flirtin' with Disaster".

In June 2000, Bobby Ingram became the sole owner of the trade and service mark "Molly Hatchet," acquired from Pat Armstrong, the band's early manager. In January 2005, Ingram invited founding member Dave Hlubek to rejoin Molly Hatchet. Before Hlubek re-joined the group he played in various other bands.

Danny Joe Brown died on March 10, 2005, at his home in Davie, Florida. He was 53.

In 2005, former Molly Hatchet members Steve Holland, Bruce Crump, Jimmy Farrar, Riff West and Molly Hatchet's original guitarist Duane Roland founded and performed together in a group called Gator Country. On Monday, June 19, 2006, Duane Roland died at his home in St. Augustine, Florida at the age of 53. His death was listed as being of "natural causes" according to a June 25, 2006 obituary in the Boston Globe. The Gator Country band continued until 2009.

In 2011, Molly Hatchet drummer Shawn Beamer had a heart attack and was temporarily replaced by drummer Scott Craig. In 2013 Beamer returned to the band. As of 2014 Molly Hatchet tours in the United States, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Belgium, Sweden and other markets in the Pacific rim and Australia. A new Molly Hatchet album has been planned for release in the near future.

2017, Molly Hatchet has the longest lineup in the band's 40-year history. Dave Hlubek, Bobby Ingram, John Galvin, Tim Lindsey, Phil McCormack and Shawn Beamer. The band still is touring over 100 performances per year. 2017 will be a strong touring season with shows in Japan, Europe, and the United States. A double live album will be released, summer 2017, titled Live in Switzerland recorded on tour in 2015.

Live albums

Compilations

Bootlegs

Radio Shows