Pavlov's Dog singer David Sorkamp has died at the age of 73
David Sorkamp, frontman of the longtime progressive rock band Pavlov's Dog, has died at the age of 73, according to a social media post on the band's social media accounts. The cause of death has not been announced. While the band formed in St. Louis in the early 1970s, it wasn't an arena-filling progressive rock band like Yes, Genesis […]
David Sorkamp, the longtime frontman of the progressive rock band Pavlov's Dog, has died at the age of 73, according to a social media post on the band's social media accounts. The cause of death has not been announced.
While the group that formed in St. Louis in the early 1970s was not a stage-filled progressive rock group like Yes, Genesis, and Emerson Lake & Palmer, they enjoyed a long career and a passionate following. At times their symphonic sound included violins and flutes, and Surkamp's loud voice put them in a similar category as Yes. RELATED STORIES Hillary Clinton to Host 2026 Midterm Election Podcast with Cara Swisher for Vox Media James Murdoch's Mayor Zahran Mamdani Denies Jimmy Kimmel's Request to Send Trump a Selfie
Band member Abby Stilling wrote: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our creative force, lead singer and dear friend, David Sorkamp, on October 13th. Popular in Variety
"There are no words for a loss of this magnitude. We are heartbroken. We are grateful. We will always carry David, his music, and the memories it created with us. Our deepest condolences go out to Silver, Evan, and the Surkamp family, as well as Pavlov's dog family, as we walk together through this difficult time of grief." He added that Sorkamp's wife, Sarah, died last November and he hopes she has "found peace with the love she lost so hard."
The group released their debut album Pampered Menial, produced by Gisandy Perlman and Murray Krugman, who produced successful albums for Blue Oyster Cult, in 1975 and followed it up with In the Ring the following year. The latter album featured guest appearances from notables such as Roxy saxophonist Andy Mackie and Yes/King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford.
However, with the rise of disco and punk in the second half of the decade, progressive rock fell out of fashion. The band recorded a third album in 1977, but the label, Columbia, was unimpressed and refused to release it, and Pavlov's Dog broke up (it was released some 30 years later by German label Rockville).
During the 1980s, Surkamp moved to Seattle and formed Hi-Fi with former Fairport Convention singer Ian Matthews, before reuniting Pavlov's Dog in 1990 for the album Lost in America. The band continued in the following years, with Sarah Sorkamp joining on acoustic guitar and vocals in 2006. The band released their latest album with David Sorkamp, 'Wonderlust', last year.