FOREVER A DOOBIE
People have been listening to the music of singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Johnston for over five decades now; the founding member of The Doobie Brothers has penned some of the group’s most popular and iconic songs, including “China Grove,” “Long Train Runnin’” and, of course, “Listen to the Music.” Due to the pandemic, Johnston and the group are now celebrating their 50th anniversary a year late, but they certainly are making up for lost time. They are out on tour with special guest and old friend Michael McDonald, have recorded a new album that drops in October, and the band are still reveling in their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even after a long, hard ride from Chicago to Minneapolis, Johnston was gracious, well-spoken and insightful, as we covered myriad topics about all things Doobie.
“Yeah, we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary in year 51, but that’s typical of most things since COVID hit,” observed Johnston. “We have a lot to be grateful for right now, starting with our induction in the Hall of Fame. We were all pretty well stoked about it, man. It was not something that we knew was coming right away or anything like that, but it’s something that we’ve chatted about on occasion. But not all that much, because if it was going to happen, it was going to happen. I think a lot of things came into play — changing management really helped, because it just gave us a better window. But as far as the amount of time that we’ve been eligible — since ’95, I guess — every once in a while it would pop up and we’d talk about it,
