Roger Earl and Foghat Rev Up The Suffolk August 27

Foghat has been taking that slow ride into rock and roll history for decades starting in 1971 when Roger Earl (drummer), Lonesome Dave Peverett (guitarist and vocalist) and Tony Stevens (bassist) left the British blues-rock band, Savoy Brown, to form their own band. Guitarist Rod Price soon joined them. Though the transformations have been many and sometimes sad, the momentum continues with their latest stop at The Suffolk on Sunday, August 27.

Since its inception, Foghat has garnered eight gold records, one platinum and one double platinum record. The band relocated from England to the United States after signing a record deal. Their debut album, Foghat (1972), featured “Sarah Lee”, a classic blues song highlighted by Price’s slide guitar solo which quickly became the band’s signature. Their second self-titled album (1973) was also known as Rock and Roll for its cover photo of a rock and a bread roll.

Peverett came up with the evocative name Foghat, a nonsense word from a Scrabble-like game that he and his brother played. The band introduced their name on the back of the first album by depicting a cartoonish head wearing a foghat.

Losses befell the band with the passing of Peverett in 2000 and Price in 2005. Still, Foghat perseveres with Earl at the helm releasing new studio albums and touring.

Accompanying Earl on this present tour are Bryan Bassett (lead guitar, backing vocals), Rodney O’Quinn (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Scott Holt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar).

Earl hopped off Foghat’s merry-go-round of tours to talk about his love of music and so much more.

Roger Earl Talks Foghat

Are you going to treat audiences to Foghat’s latest single “Drivin’ On” when you play The Suffolk?

We are. On November 10, our 17th studio album, Sonic Mojo, drops and every month from here on we’re going to release a single starting August 25 with “Drivin’ On.”

Are you instrumental in making current band member choices?

Yes, I guess I am as the longest standing member. But it’s really all about the music. Each member of the band has a stand-in. If you start canceling shows because someone gets ill, we would be in trouble. I have three drummers who stand in for me. I broke my back about 10 years ago when I fell off the stage. You have to make sure you’re ok, so I exercise. There’s a physical side to playing drums and I have to be on top of my game.

What is it about LI that keeps you living on the North Shore?

I first came here in the late ’60s when I was in Savoy Brown and met our first manager. We became friends and I talked about my penchant for fishing. He lived in Rocky Point so I visited, caught my first bluefish and I was hooked. It’s beautiful here, I love it. I’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I get involved in community efforts and charities. America gave music to the world; there’s blues, jazz, gospel, country. I think Foghat draws from all of those genres. The first time I came here, it felt like coming home. I love my adopted home.

You were recently inducted in the LIHOF and it came as a complete surprise to you. How did your wife, Linda, carry that off?

I thought I was inducting a local promoter, Jim Faith. Then I walked in and it was a complete surprise birthday and induction party. It was very touching and humbling.

What does it mean to be inducted in the LIHOF?

I must have done something right over the years. Just the fact that Foghat has been around for over 50 years now and my tenure in Savoy Brown which was very popular here in the ’60s. I guess if you stick around long enough people pay attention.

What are the advantages to your wife, Linda, being the band’s manager?

Linda was our office manager back in 1976 and we were friends forever. We like each other. My advice to young people is marry your best friend, then everything else comes easily. Linda is the band manager, my girlfriend and my wife. She’s an artist and does the artwork for our albums and CDs. She has her hands full with us. She’s very professional.

Why did you, Dave Peverett and Tony Stevens leave Savoy Brown to start Foghat?

As the song goes, “I looked around and saw it was time for a change.” There were financial issues. We never got paid for any records that we made or songwriting. We had a meeting with the manager. He fired Tony Stevens and told me and Dave we could stay if we wanted to. The next morning, we told him we were leaving the end of the tour. He told us we would never play in the States or England again. We managed to get around him when we got our new album done and released in the States the end of ’72, then we came over here and played everywhere.

Why did you start your side band, Earl & the Agitators?

Because we love to play. We were doing our studio album, Under the Influence, and we were about three songs short for a double album so a friend recommended Scott Holt. He came to our Florida studio and we became really good friends. Instead of writing three songs, we wrote 17. So ‘Earl and the Agitators’ was born. Because we got along so well, we asked Scott to be a stand-in if our lead singer at the time, Charlie Huhn, couldn’t make something. Charlie retired about a year ago, Scott stood in and we’ve been rockin’ ever since.

With all the changes to Foghat and sad losses along the way, what do you attribute to your perseverance?

I love entertaining people, making people smile, making people want to dance and playing some classic rock and roll tunes. Music is like a moment in time. People who are really into music will recall a certain time from a special song. Without music, life would be a mistake.

Do you still prefer convertibles over hardtops?

I think convertibles are more exotic. I’m a car fanatic. My dad used to work for Aston Martin as a panel fitter and he would have to take the cars out and road test them. I would come home from school and there would be these beautiful cars.

Your dad was a big influence in your life, yes?

Dad also played piano and there was always music in our house. In fact, Dad took me to my first rock and roll show to see Jerry Lee Lewis. My older brother plays piano as well and was in a band called Mungo Jerry. I had really cool parents. They always encouraged us.

You have quoted Lonesome Dave, “I’m gonna roll till I’m old, gonna rock till I drop.” Is that still your mantra?

I play drums in a great rock and roll band, how bad is that? Yes, making music and playing with this band is tons of fun! I enjoy the creative aspects of it and I have a blast! I am fortunate to make a living at something I love doing.

For tickets to Foghat at The Suffolk in Riverhead (118 East Main Street) on Sunday, August 27 at 8 p.m., visit thesuffolk.org.