In The 1970s Dr Hook - Ray Sawyer

UPDATED 01 01 2019

Ray Sawyer - the eye-patch wearing singer with Dr Hook & the Medicine Show in the 1970s - has died, aged 81.

Sawyer died in Daytona, Florida, after "a brief illness", according to US website Page Six.

 The band is best known for the song When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman, which was a number one hit in the UK in 1979.

Sawyer joined Dr Hook in 1969, two years after he lost an eye in a car accident.

Despite not being the lead singer, his eye patch - and cowboy hat - meant he was the most easily recognised.

But Sawyer, who was born in Chickasaw, Alabama, in 1937, did take lead vocals on one early hit, 1972's Cover of the Rolling Stone.

In the song's lyrics, he sang: "The biggest thrill we've never known is the thrill that'll getcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone."

Dr Hook did eventually appear - in caricature - on the front of the famous magazine in 1973.

"Here was this little band from Alabama standing on the corner saying, 'Hey, put us on the cover', and it worked," he later said, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

"It was a dream come true."

Originally called The Chocolate Papers back in the 1960s, they changed their name in the 1970s to Dr Hook and the Medicine Show later to become Dr Hook. The Hook name came from band member Ray Sawyer's eye patch and the resemblance to Captain Hook from Peter Pan.Sawyer lost his eye in a car crash back in 1967.

Other long term members included George Cummings and Dennis Locorriiere who also wrote songs for Helen Reddy. Billy Francis died in 2010.John Wolters died in 1997 and Bob Henke died in 2012.

It was 1972 when the group had their first single success with Sylvia's Mother written by Shel Silverstein. The song tells the true story of the writer trying to get back his girlfriend but getting through to her mum instead.

Move on to 1976 for their next big hit with A Little Bit More which reached No. 2 just as their previous UK hit had.


From the same album called A Little Bit More and also from 1976 came the next hit called If Not You a ballad that had great radio play and a No. 5 hit single. No hits in 1977.

1978 and the group were back with More Like The Movies.

It was in 1979 when the group scored their very first No.1 single with When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

and was written by Evan Stevens and came from the album Pleasure and Pain.