Michael Hossack, Drummer for Doobie Brothers, Dies at 65 Michael Hossack, the drummer for the Doobie Brothers during the band's heyday in the early 1970s, died on Monday at his home in Dubois, Wyo. He was 65. The band's manager, Bruce Cohn, said the cause was cancer. Mr. Hossack played with the group from 1971 to 1973 and rejoined it in 1987. His drumming can be heard on early hits including "Listen to the Music" and "China Grove." He stopped performing with the band two years ago. Mr. Hossack, who grew up in New Jersey, played in various drum and bugle corps as a youngster. He said the experience had prepared him for playing in a two-drummer group like the Doobie Brothers. After leaving the band in 1973, Mr. Hossack played with two other groups, Bonaroo and DFK, and was a partner at a Southern California recording studio. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and is survived by a son and daughter.