'The Captain' Daryl Dragon, Ray 'Dr. Hook' Sawyer Pass

'The Captain' & 'Dr. Hook'

Two music figures from the '70s passed over the new year -- DARYL DRAGON of THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE and RAY SAWYER of DR. HOOK & THE MEDICINE SHOW.

Renal failure took the life of DRAGON, one-half of popular '70s duo THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE, CNN reports. A pianist, DRAGION paired with singer TONI TENNILLE on hits such as "Muskrat Love," "Do That to Me One More Time" and "Love Will Keep Us Together." Before that, he was as a backup musician for THE BEACH BOYS in the mid-'60s.

"He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly," said TONI TENNILLE, who was at DRAGON's side when he passed. "I was at my most creative in my life when I was with him." The two were married in 1975 before divorcing in 2014.

DRAGON is survived by his older brother, DOUG DRAGON, and two nieces, KELLY ABOUT and RENEE HENN. Publicist HARLAN BOLL has asked that any donations being made in DRAGON's name be made to organizations doing research into brain diseases and conditions such as Parkinson's Disease or post-traumatic stress disorder.

SAWYER, singer of DR. HOOK & THE MEDICINE SHOW, died in DAYTONA BEACH, FL following a brief illness at 81, ROLLING STONE reports. He is best known for singer the 1973 SHEL SILVERSTEIN-penned hit “The Cover of ‘ROLLING STONE,'” which resulted in a caricature of the band landing on the cover of the magazine in MARCH 1973. Other hits from the band include "Sylvia's Mother,"  “Only Sixteen,” “A Little Bit More,” “Sexy Eyes” and “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman.” 

Born in ALABAMA, SAWYER founded the group with DENNIS LOCORRIERE, BILLY FRANCIS and GEORGE CUMMINGS in 1969 -- a few years before the band’s formation, SAWYER lost his right eye in a car accident. He wore an eyepatch that made him look like the PETER PAN villain CAPTAIN HOOK, which served as the inspiration for the DR. HOOK moniker.

SAWYER left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career; he has toured for years as DR. HOOK featuring RAY SAWYER, but health issues forced SAWYER to stop performing live in 2015..

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