Phil McCormack — the frontman for Southern rock heroes Molly Hatchet — has died. Both the band and the singer's family confirmed the news, revealing McCormack had passed away at the age of 58. He reportedly died on Friday (April 26), but as of press time, a cause of death has yet to be revealed.
In a Facebook post, Molly Hatchet wrote, "It is with great sorrow to announce the passing of our friend and band member, Phil McCormack. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family during this time of loss. Phil's contributions to Molly Hatchet were heard around the world. He will be missed but never forgotten."
His family also shared a statement, writing in part, "Phil loved his audiences and they loved him. Molly Hatchet fans know how much time Phil spent with them before and after each show. He loved meeting people and sharing time with them. Being on stage was where Phil felt at home. He connected with his audiences, fully tuned into the moment he was sharing with them. He was living his dream, a dream he never took for granted."
Born Phillip Wallace McCormack, the singer first cut his teeth with the band the Roadducks in the early '80s, appearing on the group's 1987 album Get Ducked and 1992's Let It Ride. McCormack then briefly joined Molly Hatchet in 1992 as a temporary replacement for original singer Danny Joe Brown, but he later became the band's full-time singer in 1995 after Brown left the group for health reasons.
McCormack went on to perform on a long series of Molly Hatchet albums, including Devil's Canyon, Silent Reign of Heroes, Kingdom of XII, Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge, Southern Rock Masters, Justice and Regrinding the Axes.
The singer's death follows that of founding Molly Hatchet members Dave Hlubek and bassist Banner Thomas in 2017, in addition to drummer Bruce Crump in 2015. Danny Joe Brown passed away in 2005, while guitar player Duane Roland died in 2006.
In a Facebook post, Molly Hatchet wrote, "It is with great sorrow to announce the passing of our friend and band member, Phil McCormack. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family during this time of loss. Phil's contributions to Molly Hatchet were heard around the world. He will be missed but never forgotten."
His family also shared a statement, writing in part, "Phil loved his audiences and they loved him. Molly Hatchet fans know how much time Phil spent with them before and after each show. He loved meeting people and sharing time with them. Being on stage was where Phil felt at home. He connected with his audiences, fully tuned into the moment he was sharing with them. He was living his dream, a dream he never took for granted."
Born Phillip Wallace McCormack, the singer first cut his teeth with the band the Roadducks in the early '80s, appearing on the group's 1987 album Get Ducked and 1992's Let It Ride. McCormack then briefly joined Molly Hatchet in 1992 as a temporary replacement for original singer Danny Joe Brown, but he later became the band's full-time singer in 1995 after Brown left the group for health reasons.
McCormack went on to perform on a long series of Molly Hatchet albums, including Devil's Canyon, Silent Reign of Heroes, Kingdom of XII, Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge, Southern Rock Masters, Justice and Regrinding the Axes.
The singer's death follows that of founding Molly Hatchet members Dave Hlubek and bassist Banner Thomas in 2017, in addition to drummer Bruce Crump in 2015. Danny Joe Brown passed away in 2005, while guitar player Duane Roland died in 2006.