Flirtin With Disaster

In the studio, looking at the album cover, I was amazed, Jacksonville, Florida was becoming a mecca for Southern Rock. Originating from the same city as the most well-known act in the Southern rock genre, Lynyrd Skynyrd. I could just see hundreds of PR men in Jacksonville getting hammered and running around looking for the next BIG thing.

In rides Molly Hatchet circa 1971, named for a legendary Southern prostitute who supposedly mutilated and decapitated her clients. This outstanding southern rock band cooked with a capital "C".

38 Special with vocalist Donnie Van Zant, who was the brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant, I am sure was a major influence on Hatchet. Actually because of their ties with 38 Special they were introduced to manager Pat Armstrong. His interest in Molly Hatchet led to a recording contract with Epic Records and bringing in Tom Werman as a producer. Werman was already well-known in the industry for working with other popular acts of the period, including Cheap Trick, Stranger and Ted Nugent.

The band, founded by Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland cut their first demos in Skynyrds 8-track recording studio using their equipment, thus the circle was complete, strange. Later while being interviewed founding member Hlubek suggested it was only because of the location that Molly Hatchett was even considered Southern Rock. He considered Molly Hatchet - along with another band from the same area, Blackfoot - to actually be metal bands from the South.




Combining boogie, blues and hard rock, Molly Hatchet's sound was differentiated from more country-influenced acts such as The Outlaws. Possibly because of working with producer Tom Werman who had worked with more hard rock acts, the bands music expressed the values, hopes - and excesses - of 1970s working-class youth.

The band recorded and released its first album, Molly Hatchet in 1978, followed by Flirtin' with Disaster in 1979. Molly Hatchet proceeded to tour behind the record building an increasing fan base. Some observers note that certain "success syndrome" problems led singer Danny Joe Brown, whose gruff voice and tough yet amicable persona had defined the act to that point, to leave the band at the end of the 1970s.

Personnel (1971-1979)

Danny Joe Brown - vocals
Bruce Crump - drums
Dave Hlubek - guitar
Steve Holland - guitar
Duane Roland - guitar
Banner Thomas - bass

Additional personnel

Thomas Powell - bass
Tom Werman - percussion
Jai Winding - keyboard

Sidenotes:

The cover of Molly Hatchet is a painting by Frank Frazetta entitled "The Death Dealer".

The cover of "Flirtin with Disaster" is a painting by Frank Frazetta entitled "Dark Kingdom."

Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant was slated to produce Molly Hatchet's first album. He had done arranging and rehearsed the band in preparation, before leaving on the ill-fated tour.

In 1980 Brown left the group to form The Danny Joe Brown Band with a new harder-rocking sound Molly Hatchet briefly become the most popular Southern Rock act for a short time in the early 1980s. It wouldn't last and Brown rejoined the band in 1982 .

In June 2000, Ingram became the sole owner of the Trade and Service Mark "Molly Hatchet" acquired from Pat Armstrong the original manager of the band

Locked and Loaded and 25th Anniversary: Best Of Re-Recorded (2003) and Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge (2005).

Danny Joe Brown died on March 10, 2005, less than an hour after returning to his home in Davie, Florida from a four week hospitalization. He was 53. He had previously left the group after suffering a massive stroke in 1995 while driving to his brother's house.

On June 19, 2006, founding guitarist Duane Roland died at his home in St. Augustine, Florida at the age of 53 according to Bobby Ingram on the Molly Hatchet MySpace website. His death was listed as being of "natural causes" according to a June 25, 2006 The Boston Globe Associated Press obituary.

Five of the band's original era members have joined forces and are currently performing as Gator Country. Find more Molly Hatchet on Rock and Roll Classics Radio

As Always

Peace