Carmen Macri
Words by Carmen Macri
In 1971, Jacksonville was the epicenter of Southern rock, with every local band eager to follow in the footsteps of the genre’s godfather, Lynyrd Skynyrd. One band that emerged victorious from this scene was Molly Hatchet.
Dave Hlubek, founding member, recalled that a friend of theirs, Bobby Maddox, who attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, was the band’s fifth lead singer before Danny Joe Brown joined and had a real Mick Jagger vibe. At the time, the band was looking for a name and eager to play, as there were about 12 rock clubs in the Jacksonville area in the ’70s where a band could make a decent living. They would play through the clubs, but by the time they finished, they had to start over, constantly changing the band’s name. No one ever knew who they were because each time they got used to one name, it would change again. They finally got fed up and decided they needed a permanent name.
The six band members, Hlubek (vocals, guitar), Skip Lake (drums), Tim Lindsey (bass), Chris Caruso (keyboards), Maddox and guitarist Steve Holland, put three name suggestions each into a John Deere tractor hat, and whatever name came out last would be the band’s official name. The 18th name left in the hat was Molly Hatchet. They weren’t sure what to make of it at first. It started as “Molly F**king Hatchet,” and people even wondered who the girl in the band was. Locals in Jacksonville began making bumper stickers, and the name stuck. Molly Hatchet actually referred to a notorious figure from 17th century Salem—an axe-wielding woman known as “Hatchet Molly” who killed her lovers in a violent rage.
The band was playing locally for years, gaining a cult-like following with their 1978 self-titled debut album, which was a commercial success, but it was their 1979 follow-up, “Flirtin’ with Disaster,” that became their defining record, earning them major national recognition. The album went double platinum and solidified their place alongside other Southern rock legends like Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special. From then, the band turned from Jacksonville’s well-kept secret to a national phenomenon.
Since then, the band has gained members, lost them, gained a few more, and lost even more — pretty much par for the course for a rock band in the early ’80s — all while still keeping true to their sound and releasing albums to keep their fans well fed.
As of 2020, all members of the original line-up have passed away, but they do have two veterans in the mix, both Bobby Ingram (guitarist) and John Galvin (keyboardist) have been with the group since the early 80s, and maintain the integrity of the music.
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