Phil McCormack, the longtime frontman of Southern rock band Molly Hatchet has passed away, with the group confirming the news in a recent statement.
First forming back in 1971, Florida’s Molly Hatchet quickly became one of the best-known groups in the popular Southern rock genre.
Performing alongside acts such as The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and fellow Floridians Lynyrd Skynyrd, the group released their self-titled debut back in 1978, becoming a chart and radio staple in their home country over the next few years.
After years of various vocalists fronting the group, 1995 saw Danny Joe Brown replaced by his 1992 stand-in, Phil McCormack.
Performing on all of the group’s subsequent albums, and becoming their longest-tenured vocalist to date, Molly Hatchet have now revealed that McCormack has passed away at the age of 58.
“It is with great sorrow to announce the passing of our friend and band member, Phil McCormack,” wrote Molly Hatchet on their official Facebook page earlier today. “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.”
In an earlier post, Phil McCormack’s other band, The Roadducks, also paid tribute to their late bandmate, revealing he passed away sometime on Friday.
“Phil was a fabulous, singer, band mate, brother, and human being,” the Roadducks explained.
“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.”
While no cause of death has been revealed yet, Blabbermouth notes that US radio station 102.7 WSNR has reported that it “looks like a heart attack.”
At this stage, it’s hard to predict what the future holds for the band and the members of Molly Hatchet, but our thoughts are with the family, friends, and musical collaborators of Phil McCormack during this difficult time.
Check out Molly Hatchet’s ‘Been To Heaven, Been To Hell’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ttpUxlVAT4
