Bob Sawyer

guitar

from Enfield

Ray Sawyer (February 1, 1937 – December 31, 2018) was an American percussionist and vocalist known for his work with the 1970s rock band Dr. Hook. Though primarily a backing vocalist and occasional percussionist on congas or maracas, he sang lead on their hit song "The Cover of Rolling Stone" and was a recognizable presence in the band owing to the eyepatch and cowboy hat he wore. He was also the uncle of Wild Fire vocalist Zack Sawyer.

Personal life

Sawyer lost his right eye in a 1967 automobile accident that left him in a wheelchair for a year. He said the following about his life before the time of his car accident: "I must have played all the clubs from Houston to Charleston, until I decided I was going insane from too much beans and music, and I gave it up. I saw a John Wayne movie and then proceeded to Portland, Oregon, to be a logger complete with plaid shirt, caulk boots, and pike pole. On the way, my car slipped on the road and the accident left me with the eye patch I now wear. When I recovered, I ran straight back to the beans and music and vowed, 'Here, I'll stay'." After leaving Dr. Hook, Sawyer relocated, first to Europe, then to Daytona Beach, Florida in 2000, where he remained until his death. Sawyer retired in 2015 and died after a short illness, on December 31, 2018, one month before his 82nd birthday. He was survived by his wife, Linda Lombardi Sawyer, and a son, Cayce.