The scruffy-haired and scruffy- voiced face of the group Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show passed away last week at his home in Daytona Beach, according to a Facebook post from his wife.
He was 81.
Dr. Hook was the nickname given to vocalist Ray Sawyer, who sported an eye patch after losing his right eye in a traffic accident when he was younger.
He would joke that the eye patch made him look like Captain Hook, the nemesis of Peter Pan.
A little twist on that moniker led to the name Dr. Hook, and it helped cinch the character of the band Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show.
Though not the lead singer for the band, Sawyer's eye patch and distinctive cowboy hat made him the most visible member of the group, and helped raise its profile among music-lovers.
The band was famous for a number of songs in the 70s, but became legends with the song "Cover of the Rolling Stone."
The song, penned by Shel Silverstein for the group, was a cheerful poke at the success of musical stardom while lamenting the fact that the pinnacle had not been achieved.
It was considered the peak of success to appear on the cover of that magazine.
Lyrics to the song included:
"We have all the friends that money can buy
So we never have to be alone.
And we keep getting richer
But we can't get our picture
On the cover of The Rolling Stone."
The band got its musical wish, and appeared on a 1973 cover of Rolling Stone, in caricature.
The image was captioned "What's-Their-Names Made The Cover."
Sawyer left Dr. Hook after making nine albums with the band, in order to pursue a solo career.
His travels eventually brought him and his wife to Volusia County, where they fell in love with the coastal area and settled down.