Keith Knudsen

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Keith Knudsen was a US rock drummer, vocalist and songwriter. Keith was born in Iowa on February 18, 1948. He began drumming while in high school.

After short stints playing in a club band and the Blind Joe Mendlebaum Blues Band, he became the drummer for the organist/vocalist Lee Michaels. His big break came in 1974 when he was invited to join the Doobie Brothers, replacing the departing Michael Hossack. He made his recording debut with the Doobies on What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits in 1974, performing backing vocals over instrumental tracks that included Hossack. He didn't get behind the drum stool in the studio until Stampede in 1975. Knudsden was co-drummer with John Hartman and later Chet McCracken until the Doobies disbanded in 1982. His contribution to the group's vocal harmonies in the studio and in concert was as crucial as his drums.

After 1982, he and fellow Doobie John McFee formed the country rock band Southern Pacific. The group was successful in the country charts but disbanded in the early nineties. By now, the two men had formed a writing partnership and one of their songs even featured on the Doobies reunion album Cycles in 1989.

Keith organized a one-off Doobies reunion in 1987 to raise funds for the National Veterans Foundation. After Southern Pacific folded, both he and McFee rejoined the Doobie Brothers on a full-time basis in 1993. Ironically, Knudsen found himself drumming alongside Michael Hossack, whom he had replaced all those years ago. Of the multiple pairings of Doobie Brothers drummers over the decades, Knudsen's time-keeping partnership with Hossack lasted the longest.

He featured prominently as a songwriter on the album Sibling Rivalry (2000), which is so far only the band's third album since reuniting. He also featured on the albums Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert (1996), and Live at Wolf Trap (2004).

Keith sadly lost his life to chronic pneumonia on February 8, 2005.

[edit] Albums

[edit] with the Doobie Brothers

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