Have you ever seen a band like the Doobie Brothers live in concert? If the answer is yes, then you probably have experienced a scene similar to the one I witnessed a couple of weeks ago. There was the seventeen year-old girl who stood to my right, looking like she should have been home chatting on the phone with a guy named Derek while listening to the new Britney album. There was the sixtysomething year-old gentleman to my left, standing on a chair nonetheless, clapping his hands and shaking his ass as if this was the absolute highlight of his year. To the front of me was a forty year-old lady - thin as a rail and most happy to be there - locked in a two-hour embrace with her man for the evening, who seemed to be in equally buoyant spirits. To my rear was a group of about five or six office co-workers, each with a beer in both hands, singing virtually every song word for word (though not necessarily in the appropriate key).

It was a hell of a show.

Patrick Simmons is more than just a Doobie Brother - he is more accurately the Doobie Brother. As the common thread that has held the band together for almost 35 years, Pat has devoted his life to the cause of all-things music. Never have I met a nicer musician, and Pat was even gracious enough to sign three vintage albums for the members of XMFan after the show. I interviewed Pat by phone the week prior while he was enjoying a bit of rest at his home in Hawaii.

The Doobies will be in your neck of the woods one of these days, and I would highly recommend your inclusion as a member of the audience. If your boyfriend Derek can't get a ticket to the show it's his own damned problem.

XMFan: You first began to play guitar at the age of eight. Are you mostly self-taught, or did you take lessons during those early years?
Pat: My next-door neighbor gave me lessons for a while. He was just my buddy who taught me some chords and starter techniques - how to position your hands and how to hold the guitar. Around the age of eleven I started taking lessons with a lady, which lasted about three years. Later in high school I went to a gig and heard a guy playing some blues, then wound up taking some lessons from him. He was the one who really taught me about different blues techniques, and inspired me to look in to that whole area of music.

I did take lessons from another guy who taught me reading and playing chords - Bossa Nova kind of stuff similar to Luis Bonfa and Charlie Byrd. Another guy got me back to the folk blues finger-style guitar. During this entire time I was of course teaching myself, which is probably true for any of the arts - it's what you do between the times you take lessons that really counts.

XMFan: What were a few albums that could be found on your record player during your teen years?
Pat: Really oddball ones… During my early teen years I probably listened more to surf music. (Laughs) I still like to surf but really got in to the surf music for a while. I always loved Chet Atkins - he was a big inspiration for me during those early teen years. Organ player Jimmy Smith was another one. Later of course, living in California, by the time I got to high school it was all Stax-Volt and R&B stuff like Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, those kinds of records. Those were the days when you bought 45s, and they were a large part of what I listened to. Later on I got in to the more "traditional" music such as the blues, bluegrass, folk blues. These were artists like Doc Watson, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and early Bob Dylan.

In my mid to late teens I got in to the San Francisco stuff - I was a flower child, or at least thought I was. (Laughs) I had every album from every band. Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Jefferson Airplane, The Electric Flag, Moby Grape was a favorite of mine, early Dead stuff, The Quicksilver Messenger Service. Here's an odd one for you - this was my favorite record when I was a teenager - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I would listen to it every day and still listen to it. Also Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills and Nash.

XMFan: At which point in life did you realize music would be your living?
Pat: Well I never thought it would be a real living, but more of a supplemental thing to go along with real working. (Laughs) From the time I was fifteen years old I always had jobs, right through high school and in to college. Even though it wasn't every weekend by any means, I would make money playing gigs several nights a year, and sometimes several times a month depending on whether I had a regular gig at a club. At first these were in little places where you could play solo, then I played the larger and louder places with a band of course.

XMFan: How long were The Doobies together before signing your first record deal? (Warner Bros.)
Pat: About a year and a half to two years. We had done a few demos and played a lot of shows - we had regular gigs at clubs and played different places in San Jose where we would be the featured band a certain night of the week. A month or two here, a month or two there. Within a few months of doing our first demo we started to get some feedback, then maybe eight months to a year later we had a record deal.

XMFan: I've heard stories about the "biker-bar" type scene you guys came from during those early days…
Pat: We did play a couple of places where the bikers liked to hang out. In the sixties and early seventies there was that moment in time when the bikers and hippies were able to exist together at the same time and same place. (Laughs) In all honesty, it still works and we play a lot of biker things.

XMFan: The band has always been known for excellent and unique-sounding vocals. Were your songs usually written with a specific lead vocalist and background vocals in mind, or would the band go in to the studio and try some variations?
Pat: Usually the guy who wrote the song also sang it. I wrote a couple of songs I had Tommy (Johnston) sing, and he has worked on some things where I sang some of the parts. The same was true with Mike (McDonald) too - he sang a few things of mine and vice-versa, both lead parts and backgrounds of course.

XMFan: You and the band once appeared on a double-episode of the 70s sitcom What's Happening!! Did you feel comfortable working in front of the cameras as an actor as well as a musician?
Pat: No, not at all. It's not my thing. I've never really aspired to do that - I think it's something you have to take seriously and practice towards. I was in a few things in high school that were fun but I'm not yet ready for the silver screen. (Laughs)

XMFan: As an engineer and producer, do you enjoy working behind-the-scenes as much as being on stage?
Pat: I enjoy writing and making demos - I've helped a number of people with their demo projects. I have never really produced anyone's records, though I have played on a lot of them. I have worked as a live musician so much that... You know, when I get home it's not like I need to go find a project because I'm bored. It's been a bonus to me because we play so much - to keep my chops up and like you said, make a living. (Laughs) I've been more of a blue-collar guy working behind a guitar as opposed to a producer or arranger for other people. I've thought about it plenty of times, and it's one of those things where I suppose if you really went searching you could find artists you'd like to help, but I haven't stopped long enough for quite a while to do it. Years ago we took a break for a while, and I did more of that kind of thing, but even then I was writing more of my own songs than other people's things.

XMFan: What have you been doing recently musically?
Pat: The Doobies almost literally work year round. We did a record a few years ago called Sibling Rivalry that I made some contributions towards. This band has really been my expression. I do a lot of stuff here on the island (Hawaii) like fund-raisers. I've got kind of a regular thing I do with Willie Nelson when he's around - we do a little shtick where I come and play at his gigs and get to do some solos. (Laughs) That's pretty cool.

XMFan: Everyone knows you are an avid Harley enthusiast. With your busy schedule, have you been able to participate in any rides or meets lately?
Pat: We played the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Party last year, which was probably the most exciting thing I've done with motorcycles in a long time. It was an event that was over a week long and was just fabulous. We played a couple of shows there actually - we played at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee and then they had a huge concert with several different artists - we played, Tim McGraw, Kid Rock, Elton John. It was an interesting combination of artists and a great musical event for everyone. For the event on the Summerfest grounds I believe Lynyrd Skynyrd played, John Kay and Steppenwolf played - of course they have the all-time anthem for bikers, Born To Be Wild. Craig Chaquico played some jazz on the side, and B.B. King was there. It was awesome and I had a really great time.

XMFan: I believe both you and your wife Cris each have your own bikes?
Pat: We have ridden together quite a bit though the years and yes, we do each have our own Harleys. Love to ride.

XMFan: As a final question, are you enjoying yourself today as much as you were 25 years ago?
Pat: Much more so, I think. It just keeps getting better and better as far as... Life is a gift. Music has been another gift I have been fortunate enough to be a part of. I just hope to be playing more of it for years to come.

XMFans can listen to the music on Top Tracks, VH1, The Loft, America, 70s on 7, MTV, Deep Tracks, XM Kids, and The Heart.