Well ! 2009… a new year again but for the DBFC-France, it's a very special year.
20 years ago when I saw on TV the video clip of "The Doctor", I thought it was time for me to found the Doobie Brothers Fan-Club, here in France, as there was no other source to get infos from the band. Internet was just a the begining so I started with a fanzine for 3 years and at the best there were 30 fans waiting to read our trimestrial. And then in 1997 the first website.
Right now this is the 3rd version of the site and we are not far from a total of 20,000 hits from all around the world for almost 12 years.
I discovered the Doobie Brothers in 1975, I was 16 on a trip in London to improve my english and during this summer "Take me in your arms" was a top hit on the british radio. From this time Creedence Clearwater Revival which was my favorite band moved to second place and the "Doobies" became instantly number one… and still are.
I came back home with "Stampede" in my luggage and since then, I had time to discover all the talented musicians and composers who were part of the band at a time or another. I was sad in 1982 when they decided to end the story. The "farewell tour" LP became then my favorite for the next 3 years. Then came 1989 and Cycles… and the train restarted and is still runnin'.
I would like to thank Bruce and Kathy who kindly gave me the oportunity to make my dreams come true and to thank every members of the band that I had the chance to meet all these years.
I invite you to read the messages I received for this 20th birthday from some historic members of the band.
Yves André
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Hello Yves and The Doobie Brothers Fan Club in France,
It's been 20 years since we recorded our album Cycles, and I have been told it's been 20 years since the founding of the DB Fan Club there in France.
This is an occasion of celebration for all of us! We are at this moment recording a new CD of brand new material for an upcoming Doobies album.
We would never have made it to this point without the support and appreciation of fans like you. But, we are the ones who are appreciative.
After nearly 40 years together making music, we are still able to tour and make albums. We feel so blessed to be able to do something we love for people like you,
and to have you with us on this "long strange trip", (to quote another band from our part of California).
As we enter into a new year with a new, (thank God!) President in America, (that's as political as I'll get), we are anxious to continue our quest for music
that, hopefully, represents the best parts of who we are, expresses our American roots, and reflects our love for diverse music and cultures.
And lets us "Rock" occasionally ... We are also getting ready for our annual Spring-Summer-Fall touring season with shows all over the place,
including some shows in Japan. I will be putting in a request to our manager Bruce Cohn, (he's been with us for 40 years as well), to please!!! book the band in France,
so we can come and play in one of our most favorite places in the world. I hope we can make this happen.
It's been far too long, and we have missed the beauty and warmth of Paris in the Spring...
We wish all of you, and your families, a healthy, happy, and prosperous, New Year, and look forward to the time when we can be there with you.
Until then, stay well and let the music play!
The Very Best To You All.
Pat Simmons and The Doobie Brothers
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