9/1/1982 Doobie Brothers, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ


August is a wrap, and we found a ticket stub for all 31 days of the month.  We've missed two dates in eight months with only the fourth quarter of the year to go.  

On to September!

39 years ago today...

September 1, 1982 - Phoenix, AZ 

The Michael McDonald-led Doobie Brothers brought their "Farewell Tour" to Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Like many rock bands, the Doobie Brothers have found it hard to say goodbye, this summer celebrating their 50th Anniversary and recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with a concert tour taking them all around the world, including another stop in Phoenix next month.
We were gifted comp tickets and backstage passes from Doobie Brothers saxophone/keyboard player Cornelius Bumpus. I met "Corny" months earlier when I promoted his quintet's appearance at the Boojum Tree Jazz Lounge.
The band was breaking up over creative differences stemming from the switch to the soulful McDonald-led approach and away from the guitar-driven classic rock favored by Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston. This "farewell" lasted five years before the band got back together.
We were excited to go backstage after the show and helped ourselves to several bottles of Heineken on ice. Bumpus came out to greet us and bass player Willie Weeks also pressed the flesh, but we never saw McDonald or any of the original Doobies.
Bumpus continued performing with his jazz quintet and also toured with Steely Dan. Sadly he suffered a heart attack on an airplane in flight to a gig. By the time the plane made an emergency landing, he had already passed at age 58.



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