Rockin’ blues, southern and classic rock group with emphasis on Allman Brothers and the like. Over the years the group went through several name changes and numerous member changes.
The group “started back in 1973 by a few high school buddies that while at school hung around more down in the woods smoking cigs, (doing other things that will not be mentioned here) but mainly TALKING BLUES ROCK MUSIC instead of hanging and collaborating with your typical high school student that did their homework on time and obeyed their parents. While their upstanding classmates were listening and dancing to the top 40 tunes that the local bands were playing at the high school dance, Doc’s band members were deep down in the basement playing and practicing until their fingers bled and their ears almost fell off. They kept at it until they heard that infamous loud scream which pierced the music they were practicing and which came down from the top of the basement steps and down through the pits of that hellish hole stating that their parents had finally had enough and it was time to CUT OUT THAT TERRIBLE GOD AWFUL RACKET! (and… oh yea, what was that weird smell that was coming up from down there?). With practice time over they got their stashes out from behind their amplifiers and maybe drank a few Country Club Malt Liquors together before they went home only to get up the next day and after school do it all over again. These guys loved the more obscure rock music, the tradition of the blues and the feel of the New Orleans based rhythmic sounds and were ready to take the band out after many, many days and nights of rehearsing, crafting and merging all these elements together. The Band searched out music to cover that wasn’t your typical music style that people were listening to on the radio and even searched out album cuts from selected blues and rock artists to take their roots from.
“The band had many different line ups and changes since then but always steered toward the same music theory and stayed true to the bands beginnings by performing BLUES-ROCK. The band put its own spin on the music and classified the music they perform as “Doc-Ti-Fied Blues Rock.” Doc has played venues and events up, down and throughout the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region for many years and always received great press, feedback and support, and picked up tons of fans and friends along the way.” (Steve Buchholz).
Originally the group was called Fracture. Formed in early 1973 with Mark Butcher (guitar), Pete Milton (guitar), Frank Stocker (bass), and Joe Amato (drums). They played a lot of original material along with covers of rock groups such as Wishbone Ash, Allman Brothers, King Crimson, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck…
In 1977 Frank was killed in a boating accident. The group went through many bass players until 1984 with the addition of Bruce Tomazuski. During this time the band went through many name changes such as the Morticians, and the Nightcrawlers.
Tomazuski left in 1986 and was replaced with Fred Zang (ex-Crossroads, Decoy…). Also, that year Amato was replaced with (Frederick) Rick Wilkerson. The group began heading more into the blues direction with Milton playing slide guitar and doing most of the vocals. Amato’s later bands include The Groove (‘00s).
Photos circa 1988 – Courtesy of Fred Zang
As the group became more popular in the late ‘80s they began playing steadily at venues such as The Full Moon, Fifteen Mile House, Max’s on Broadway, E.J. Bugs, Crossroads Tavern, Armadillo’s, Holiday House, Rudy’s Tavern, Emerald Tavern, Ashley’s Station, Brass Rail, Blues Society events, parties, bull roasts, biker bashes, benefit concerts, etc…
Zang left the group in 1989 (later going with Spitfire) and was replaced with Hank Nagle (ex-Snuff McCoy, Krazy Kakes…).
Pete Milton (lead guitar) committed suicide in 1990. The group added Daryl Bahr (guitar), and Rodney Rice (harmonica). They picked up again locally as well as more gigs in the D.C. area.
Butcher left the group briefly in 1991 (rejoining later the same year) and they added Paul Quelet (keyboards ex-Full House…), and Steve Cayce (guitar ex-Deceiver, Spitfire…). In early 1993 Steve Reith (sax, percussion ex-Fat Tuesday) joined. Later that year Nagle was replaced with Paul Zinz on bass. Cayce left for Colorado in 1994 and shortly afterward the group split up.
Buchholz called his brother-in-law Clyde Allen to see if they could quickly put a band together to cover remaining bookings. Clyde was able to recruit Joe Sanzone (guitar), Rich Butcher (keys), and John Sankonis (drums).
In 1995 they re-formed with Steve Buchholz (bass ex-Extract) returning, and Mark Butcher (guitar), Melinda Zagarino (keyboards, “vocals extraordinaire”), and Rick Wilkerson (drums). Through the ‘90s they infused more female based vocals into their playlist along with their signature blues.
The group hit another bump in 2000, and Buchholz formed a short-lived country group called Quick Change. Doc Rogers re-formed again in 2001 with Butcher, Buchholz, and Wilkerson with guitarist Chip O’Brien. Chip left in ’04 as Cayce returned from Colorado and rejoined group. This lineup remained intact through ‘07+ playing venues as the Key Largo, Johansson’s…
Nagle later played for the Fabulous Skunkpuppie Band…
200*(CD) Blues Surgery
