Foghat's British drummer Roger Earl has called Long Island home for more than 50 years: 'I love it here'

When English blues rock band Foghat got signed to Bearsville Records, a small label based in Woodstock, New York, the foursome — singer-guitarist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, bassist Tony Stevens, guitarist Rod Price and drummer Roger Earl — moved to America in 1972. Where did they settle? Right here on Long Island.

"We got off the boat, we saw the sandy beaches and the people were pretty friendly, so we stayed," Earl said in a telephone interview. He is now the band's sole original member and resides in East Setauket. "I caught my first bluefish in Rocky Point and immediately thought, ‘This is the life for me!’ Long Island became homebase. I love it here."

Over the years Foghat has played a wide variety of venues on Long Island, including The Paramount, The Suffolk, Westbury Music Fair, Tuey’s in Stony Brook, the Port Jefferson High School auditorium, Hofstra University, Long Island Arena in Commack and Nassau Coliseum. The band will headline the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts on May 17, the day after Earl turns 79. 

"The cool thing about playing in Patchogue is that I get to see all my friends because I’ve lived on Long Island since the early ’70s," Earl said. "I’ll probably know half the audience. The guest list will be longer than my arm!"

Earl was inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2023.

While Foghat has several hits and platinum-selling albums, the band’s most recognizable calling card is their 1975 single, "Slow Ride," from their fifth studio album, "Fool for the City." The song only made it to No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, however it has become a staple on classic rock radio stations with more than 200 million streams on Spotify and appearing in countless films including "Dazed and Confused" and "Top Gun." This year the band is celebrating the song’s 50th anniversary.

"Rod and I shared a house in Rocky Point. We were in the basement jamming ‘Slow Ride’ and ‘Lonesome’ Dave said, ‘I’ve got some words that will fit to that’ and the song was born," Earl recalled. "It’s basically a John Lee Hooker riff that’s played like a straight 4-4 instead of a shuffle. Why is it so popular? Probably because it’s about sex."

The band recorded its eighth studio album, "Boogie Motel" in Port Jefferson during 1979. The album spawned the popular ballad, "Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)."

"The building was used as a Slavic Culture Center prior. It had a stage built in, which was cool," Earl said. "We brought in a mixing board and recorded there. The band used the place for writing, recording and rehearsing."

With a new album in the works and a full summer tour ahead, the band shows no sign of slowing down.

"I’m one of those people who earns a living doing something I really enjoy," Earl said. "The bottom line is ... I’m going to roll till I’m old and rock till I drop!"

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.