Foghat’s New Single Pays Tribute to Original Singer Dave Peverett

Foghat has written and recorded a new song dedicated to original lead singer and guitarist “Lonesome” Dave Peverett. The single is humorously titled after his familiar stage introduction, “… on tonsils and sneakers, I’m ‘Lonesome’ Dave.”

“On Tonsils and Sneakers” arrives on streaming services today and will be released on vinyl Nov. 29 as part of the 2024’s Black Friday Record Store Day. Check it out below.

Foghat is riding a wave of momentum courtesy of Sonic Mojo, which spent more than 30 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard blues album chart. The new single’s b-side is “Black Days and Blue Nights” from Sonic Mojo, which pays tribute to original slide guitarist Rod Price.

“When Lonesome Dave sang and played with this band, he gave nothing less than 100%,” founding drummer Roger Earl said in a news release. “I loved playing with Dave. All I had to do was have fun playing drums. Yeah – Lonesome Dave on tonsils and sneakers!”

Earl is joined in Foghat by Scott Holt on vocals and guitar, co-producer and engineer Bryan Bassett on slide and Rodney O’Quinn on bass. “This song that the boys came up with really is a brilliant tribute to my Dad,” Peverett’s son Jason added.

Peverett fronted Foghat from its 1971 start in London through the band’s hiatus in 1984 and then again from 1993 until he died in 2000 after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. Holt took over in 2022 for Charlie Huhn, who’d immediately followed Peverett. The single cover image for “On Tonsils and Sneakers” also references the shiny shoes he always wore on stage.

“Every once in a while you meet someone who changes the whole trajectory of your life,” Bassett said. “‘Lonesome’ Dave Peverett was that person for me. From the day we met in the late ’80s, our friendship blossomed. I became his touring partner, I met my future wife and became a part of the Foghat family. This song, ‘On Tonsils and Sneakers,’ is our tribute to him and was his unique way of introducing himself from the stage. Oh, and he loved designing his stage tennis shoes!”