Molly Hatchet Lead Singer Phil McCormack Dies at 58
Phil McCormick, the current lead singer for Southern rock band Molly Hatchet, as well as a singer for the long-time touring band The Roadducks, has passed away at the age of 58. He died Friday night (4-26) according to close friends and band mates. No cause of death has been revealed.
Phillip Wallace McCormack first appeared in the Southern rock scene with The Roadducks in the early 80’s, appearing on their 1987 album Get Ducked, as well as singing on two tracks on their 1992 album Let It Ride. Originally formed in 1976, The Roadducks were perennial openers for numerous bands in the Southern Rock scene, including The Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Brothers, and Molly Hatchet. When original Molly Hatchet singer Danny Joe Brown left the band briefly in 1992, Phil McCormick filled in. Then in 1995 when Danny Joe Brown left the band permanently for health reasons, McCormick became the Molly Hatchet lead singer all the way until his death.
The news was first announced by Jay Nedry of the Roadducks, who said in a statement:
With a deep and profound sense of sadness, [we] share the passing of Phil McCormack. He and Bob ‘Bopper’ Gaynor are off at some bar in the great beyond getting tuned up to sing harmonies together as only they could. We met at Louie’s Rock City in 1978. The Ducks were living in New Haven, Connecticut at the time and later that year we met Molly Hatchet on their first tour. Their drummer, Bruce Crump was a prep school classmate of mine at Staunton Military Academy. That chance meeting changed all of our lives in the band, as we met Marshall Tucker, The Outlaws, Blackfoot, 38 Special, Lynryd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Stevie Ray Vaughn from that encounter and did shows all over the country together as a direct result.
Phil joined the Ducks in 1982 and joined Molly Hatchet shortly after Kim Cocho and I bought Jaxx out from Nick Dukovich in 1997. Phil was a fabulous, singer, band mate, brother, and human being. Collectively we spent thousands of hours that turned into thousands of days together, creating an unbreakable bond few people are fortunate enough to ever experience. A song I will always hear Phil singing “Won’t you bury me with my chaps on, and my six-gun by my side …hidin in the Desert Skies.” Desert Skies Marshall Tucker Band. Pull that song out and listen to it today and many other days and think often and fondly of Phillip Wallace McCormack.
Best known for their hit “Flirtin’ With Disaster,” Molly Hatchet formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1971, and along with their fellow Jacksonville natives Lynyrd Skynyrd, helped spearhead the sound and style of Southern rock for generations. Singed to Epic and Capitol Records, they earned two platinum records, and a double platinum record with 1979’s Flirtin’ with Disaster. After joining the band, Phil McCormick appeared on seven of the band’s recent records: Devil’s Canyon, Silent Reign of Heroes, Kingdom of XII, Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge, Southern Rock Masters, Justice and Regrinding the Axes.
With the passing of Phil McCormack, many of the members associated with the band have now died. Danny Joe Brown, who Phil McCormack replaced, died in 2005. Dave Hlubek, who formed Molly Hatchet in 1971, died in 2017. Guitarist Duane Roland passed away in 2006. Drummer Bruce Crump died in 2015, bassist Banner Thomas in 2017, and Jimmy Farrar, who sang with the band between 1980 and 1982, died in November of 2018.
“It is with great sorrow to announce the passing of our friend and band member, Phil McCormack,” Molly Hatchet said in a statement. “Our condolences and prayers go out to his family during this time of loss. Phil’s contributions to Molly Hatchet were heard around the world. He will be missed but never forgotten.”
April 28, 2019 @ 10:01 am
Hatchet was part of my southern rock soundtrack from my young years and I still like em now. Triple guitar attack, adrenaline fueled songs , they were the ultimate biker band. I saw Phil fronting them 10 years ago and remember it fondly. They had all the moves, killed on the guitar soloing and had a crowd of bikers as happy as could be. True Rock n Roll band in every sense. They had swagger, chops and atittude. I wonder if Phil got to take that “one last ride” on a Panhead or Knucklehead. Hope he did.
Danny Joe Brown was of course the greatest of the Hatchet vocalists but he’s gone too. Really Phil was the last living guy with any claim to the band IMO. Probably time to call it a day for Molly Hatchet. They left behind a great body of work. Gonna crank Dreams I’ll never See and have a shot of the good stuff.
April 30, 2019 @ 9:33 pm
Kevin, Sonny Harlan here in St Pete. Get in touch. I loved Phil and his music and you were a huge part of that. I miss talking to you. Thanks for all you did for us Molly Hatchet fans. sonnyjoeharlan@yahoo.com
April 28, 2019 @ 12:02 pm
It’s sad when our Jacksonville band guys die. We’ve already lost so many. Southern rock was basically born here, as the Allman Brothers initially formed here, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, and of course Molly Hatchet were all from here. It’s sad.
April 28, 2019 @ 1:35 pm
thanks for that info… didn’t know any of that;
That city should get more credit for being a centre of music than it does.
April 28, 2019 @ 4:13 pm
Gene Odom has a few great videos on YouTube, riding around the area telling stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xb7OBT1Lfs
And you can visit Ronnie’s childhood home if you’re down there, but I’d take my pistol with me if I were you.
https://youtu.be/nPx4cH7u8Ds
April 29, 2019 @ 12:22 pm
Blackfoot was huge, and also from the area. Looks like Rickey Medlocke is one of the few still standing.
April 29, 2019 @ 3:50 pm
Rickey Medlocke was the drummer before Bob Burns for one of their bands before Skynyrd. Either The One Percent or My Backyard.
April 28, 2019 @ 3:10 pm
And let’s not forget bassist Riff West who played on the last 5’original era albums who passed in 2014. Phil wa a great friend and excellent performer. He was a no brainer when it came to replacing Danny Joe Brown, which were hard shoes to fill. But he did it with ease for over 2 decades. God bless him and all the others that we’ve lost. Long live Molly Hatchet.
April 29, 2019 @ 6:43 am
RIP MY FRIEND
DukeWoodstock Rivers Charlotte NC
April 28, 2019 @ 4:20 pm
Hey all of u ????John Seal of Altimount Springs A1 studios..Love to the Fallens heroes of Molly Hatchet..damn Tim be cool. JOHN
April 29, 2019 @ 5:06 am
I just saw molly hatchet last year at Merriweather in MD. That was first I saw them even though I listened to the music for years. They rocked. Such timeless music. I love southern rock and there are very few new bands and the. Bands do not rock like molly Hatchett. Rest in peace and know you made many people rock and they will continue your music the real southern rock .
April 3, 2022 @ 12:55 am
Ich mochte Phil,obwohl ich ihn leider nicht persönlich kannte. Der “Son of the south” hat die grossen Molly Hatchet und den “Southern Style” ehrenvoll präsentiert und ch bin sehr bestürzt und traurig über seinen frühen letzten Gang über die “Rainbow Bridge” Ich verehre Molly Hatchet seit den Goldenen Siebziger Jahren
und werde Sie feiern bis ich sterbe.
Molly Hatchet – Rock hard – Ride free !
Peter – Al East from (Osnabrück – Western Germany) Phil and all missing members of the Great Molly Hatchet- R.I.P. ✌
April 29, 2019 @ 8:14 am
i saw molly hatchet last december in bilston , great britain for the 8th time and enjoyed chatting with phil before the gig , hell yeah brother , you will be sadly missed RIP .
April 29, 2019 @ 9:59 am
Everyone has to go but that young is to young to go.
May 2, 2019 @ 7:53 am
Who is the new lead singer of Molly Hatchet from Winter Haven Florida?
May 4, 2019 @ 6:36 am
Jimmy Elkens ….. Is that man from wh. FL.
May 9, 2019 @ 6:10 am
I new Phil well, I regret not calling him before he passed. RIP brother.
May 22, 2019 @ 3:43 pm
RIP Phil, great singer/ musician, I seen Molly Hatchet twice in late 90’s , great concerts, great music, Heartless land my favorite song, guitar riffs outstanding,
May 23, 2019 @ 9:13 pm
Sorry to hear about Phil passing away I’m A huge Molly hatchet fan
August 11, 2020 @ 5:46 pm
We opened for them in Wesy Virginia. Our bank was a blues ad rock band. Fat Headed Monster. Great bunch of guys!
April 3, 2022 @ 2:05 pm
I like Phil, although unfortunately I didn’t know him personally. The Son of the South did a great job of presenting the great Molly Hatchet and the Southern style and I am very dismayed and saddened by his early last walk across the Rainbow Bridge. I have adored Molly Hatchet since the Roaring Seventies
and will celebrate you ’til I die.
Molly Hatchet – Rock Hard – Ride Free !
Peter – Al East from (Osnabrück – West Germany) Phil and all missing members of the Great Molly Hatchet – R I P✌
August 3, 2023 @ 10:06 pm
I got to see Molly Hatchet many times in the 80s and 90s with Danny Joe Brown and Jimmy Farrar as lead vocals . Worked at a nite club in Winston Salen NC called Baity’s Backstreet where me and my now wife got to meet the band . Danny Joe loved his Jim Bean, my wife talked to him after we closed and he signed the bands photo. The band had a very long rider, very big deli tray we found on the ground up side down. Never got to see the band with Phil, but he sounded damn good on the albums. RIP Phil !!! I will always be a Molly Hatch fan. I listen to them all the time. Bobby keep up what you are doing, it sounds great. I am 60 years old now and would like to see you guys one more time if you could make it to Winston Salem NC One more time !!!! RIP to all the original band members!!!!!
January 21, 2024 @ 6:23 pm
My brother and sister knew all the members of molly hatchet very well. They both lived in Jacksonville florida, some how met the band and became friends with them. They hung out and partied with them as well. Both my sister and brother have passed away. I wish I knew,and had more to share with everyone. But I think that’s so amazing They had the chance to say that they knew and got to know all the members of the band .
September 25, 2024 @ 7:11 pm
I saw and enjoyed Molly Hatchet in 1994 (obviously NOT the original group,since Danny Joe Brown had passed a couple of years previously) and wonder that,for their success,they’d have been even bigger (and reached Allman Brothers or Outlaws fame) had not the oldest Hatchet boys not passed away at early ages.Their hard-playing,hard -singing (likely hard-living) style gave the band true gravitas among Southern rockers. RIP,Phil,you and the boys will “Flirt With Disaster at the Pearly Gates Arena !