George Cummings

George H. Cummings Jr. (July 28, 1938 – December 14, 2024) was an American guitarist and songwriter based in Bayonne, New Jersey, and later Nashville, Tennessee. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he attended Meridian High School and graduated from Livingston State College. Cummings also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He died at home at age 86, survived by his wife Patricia and sons Justin and Brad.

Cummings began his music career with Darryl Vincent and the Flares in 1959 before joining The Chocolate Papers in the 1960s. This group toured clubs across Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina, becoming the house band at Gus Stevens Restaurant in Biloxi, where they performed alongside notable entertainers like Elvis Presley. Cummings later formed his own band in the New York area.

In 1968, Cummings founded Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show in Union City, New Jersey, recruiting former bandmates and young bassist Dennis Locorriere. The group gained fame with their 1970 debut album and the hit single "Sylvia's Mother," which sold over a million copies after its 1972 re-release. Cummings contributed vocals and guitar to several tracks, including "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" and songs co-written with Shel Silverstein.

Cummings collaborated with Big Joe Williams on his 1993 album *The Final Years: Big Joe Williams*, co-produced the soundtrack for the 2003 film *Florida City*, and revived The Flares in 2004 to record *It Is What It Is*. In 2005, he began working on a solo CD.