The Molly Hatchet Story - page 4

It includes a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Freebird', introduced by Danny Joe saying "Here’s to you Ronnie. Your gone but you’re song remains!".

On a personal note, quite why Pat Armstrong, as manager was allowed to produce such a make-or-break album is a mystery. The sound quality/mix on it is dreadful, with Danny often swamped by the band.

Hlubek recalled that he asked Ingram to take his place. Dave left after his final gig in the beginning of 1987. Dave called Bobby in Jacksonville one night. " I told him I was in Detroit and I asked him if he would take my place in the band. I had to leave the road or die!"

Ingram recalls things differently : he remembers Dave calling, not in the middle of the night, but early evening. Dave had heard the band were about to fire him and bring Ingram in (Ingram had previously almost replaced Duane Roland, after he had a falling out with Dave Hlubek). Dave wanted to know if what he had heard was true. Within four days, Dave was out and Bobby was in..

Next up, the band changed labels, and in 1989 released their sole album for Capitol Records "Lightning Strikes Twice. It was the first time they had used outside writers, such as Kiss' Paul Stanley, and Desmond Childs (who writes for Bon Jovi) - the album slumped with critics and fans alike turning their backs on it. This was really Hatchets death knell, and the original band played their farewell gig on July 8 1990 in Toledo, Ohio.

By 1990, Duane was the owner of the Molly Hatchet brand (the band always said that the last man standing would get the name). Danny and Ingram were in the band too, with Riff West, Bruce Crump and John Galvin. 

However, Duane tired of Hatchet and wanted to do something else : Either computers or locksmithing. Bruce left too: he went home to Virginia to spend time with his wife and child. 

1991 saw the final release from the original Hatchet "Greatest Hits", with two new (and not bad ) songs "Shake the House Down", and "Ragtop Deluxe". It was eventually certified gold. Although it contains songs co-written by Jimmy Farrar, he doesn’t sing on any, as both of his contributions (Beatin’ The Odds, and Bloody Reunion) are taken from "Double Trouble Live" with Danny Joe Brown on vocals.

Capital Records decided not to pick up the option to do another album after Lightning Strikes Twice so the record deal was over. Everyone then quit apart from Danny Joe Brown.

Duane and Pat Armstrong leased the Molly Hatchet name to Danny Joe because he wanted to keep going. Danny paid them a percentage for using the name. (Pat Armstrong is now the President and sole shareholder of PARC Records in Orlando. He is also a director of NPOWR Database Inc. He is Organizing Director and a major shareholder of the Southern Community Bank, an Orlando-based financial institution with nearly a half-billion dollars in assets. Pat has extensive experience as a real estate developer includes his majority stake in the Armstrong-Bywater Partnership, the developer of the thirty-five acre Rosemont Commerce Park, and in the 132-unit Palm Club Apartments in Brunswick, Georgia. He is a member of the Recording Industry Association of America and a voting member of NARAS, the presenters of the Grammy awards. Pat received his Juris Doctor degree in 1974 from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He is currently managing Steven Segal's musical career. Nsync, The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and Mariah Carey have all recorded at his Parc Studios)

The band kept going, with new members. In 1992, Danny quit temporarily on health grounds, and Phil McCormack (who eventually took his place full time) stood in. 

By 1995, Danny had been forced out by ill health, and was admitted to Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville. After six weeks he was discharged and went to live with his mom in Miami. Duane Roland and Pat Armstrong then leased the Hatchet name exclusively to Bobby Ingram for fifteen years with a five year option, once Danny had left.