Long Train Runnin'

Long Train Runnin' is the story of the Doobie Brothers told for the first time by founding members Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston, in their own words. The band has had unusual longevity, success and drama for a rock group. It came out of late 1960s Northern California under the leadership of Simmons and Johnston, and it takes its place alongside contemporaries such as the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers as an iconic American rock band.

For a while everything went well, with hit after hit and arenas full of fans. Then Johnston, the front man and lead guitarist, became ill and had to leave. Only seven years into their career, just as the band was taking off, the Doobies faced the prospect of the end. Simmons refused to let that happen and spent most of the following decade holding the group together.

A soul-influenced backup singer for Steely Dan named Michael McDonald tried singing some of the Doobies' songs on tour, and that opened a new chapter. The band broadened its sound and had even more hits with its new front addition. Johnston recovered his health, but the band had moved on. When a reunion concert came together in the 1980s, he got the call and returned. Led again by Simmons and Johnston, the Doobie Brothers have toured ever since and still have a huge following around the world.