John Hartman Mysterious Cause of Death: Doobie Brothers Drummer Dead at 72

John Hartman, the original drummer for the Doobie Brothers, died. He was 72.

Doobie Brothers delivered a heartbreaking update regarding Hartman, who served as one of the co-founding members of the band, saying that Hartman died at the age of 72.

The band shared the news on its social media accounts and asked fans for prayers amid the trying times.

"Today we are thinking of John Hartman or Little John to us. John was a wild spirit, great drummer, and showman during his time in the Doobies. He was also a close friend for many years and an intricate part of the band personality! We send our condolences to all his loved ones at this difficult time. Rest in peace John," the Twitter post reads.

The post did not mention his cause of death - whether the musician died of a health issue or if he died peacefully in his sleep. Hartman's family is yet to release an official statement regarding his death.

Following the emergence of the development, fans and colleagues shared their heartfelt tributes online and remembered the drummer's legacy.

John Hartman's Career

The Virginia native moved to California in the 1970s, leading him to meet Tom Johnston after Moby Grape's Skip Spence introduced them to each other. Johnson, who would become the Doobie Brothers' singer and guitarist, shared a house with Hartman who was blown away by the crooner's power.

A year later, the band welcomed its second drummer, Michael Hossack, who was eventually replaced by Keith Knudsen. With three drummers in the lineup, they swapped positions in the past years and took turns playing with the band.

For Hartman's part, he worked with Doobie Brothers from 1970 to 1979 and 1987 to 1992.

Among the albums he worked on include "The Captain and Me," "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits," and "Minute by Minute."

In 1992, he retired from the band. Despite leaving them, he still joined them in 2020 when the Doobie Brothers got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Before his death, he was still able to appear in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2020. He told the magazine that Johnston left him the best impression as the guitarist was so loud in a good way whenever he was turned on to playing their songs.