Dr. Feelgood

A London pub rock institution, Dr. Feelgood have been thrilling crowds with their electric brand of high octane, R&B for five decades - a spirited, DIY celebration of good time rock & roll. Formed in Canvey Island, Essex, England in 1971, Wilko Johnson's frantic, choppy guitar playing and Lee Brillaeux's no-nonsense vocal delivery created a stripped down, raw interpretation of The Rolling Stones' influenced blues rock, while their famously sweaty, boisterous live shows helped inspire the punk rock scene. Taking their name from a song by Piano Red (Willie Perryman), Dr. Feelgood signed with United Artists and released their debut album, Down by the Jetty, in 1975, which was quickly followed the same year by Malpractice. Their loyal following sent live album Stupidity (1976) to the top of the UK charts and follow-up Sneakin' Suspicion (1977) made it into the Top 10, but it was in small, rundown pubs and clubs that band really flourished with 1979's “Milk And Alcohol” becoming their only hit single. Wilko Johnson left the group in 1977, and the band soldiered on with Gypie Mayo taking his place until 1981. After Wilko’s departure, the band’s commercial success slowed down and after 1979’s Private Practice, their albums no longer scaled the UK albums chart. With more line-up changes and releases on a succession of labels – including Chiswick, Demon, Lolita, and Stiff Records – the band never recovered commercially although they still remained a popular live act. Vocalist Lee Brilleaux died on April 7, 1994, of lymphoma but had insisted that the band continue without him. A year after Lee’s death, the group Dr. Feelgood was reactivated with no original members. However, the group continued to draw crowds albeit in smaller clubs. Original guitarist Wilko Johnson died on November 21, 2022, at the age of 75.

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