- Michael Brewer, one-half of Brewer & Shipley, has died.
- He was 80
- On Tuesday, Dec. 17, his musical partner, Tom Shipley, confirmed the news of his death on Facebook
Michael Brewer, one-half of the folk-rock duo Brewer & Shipley, has died. He was 80.
On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Brewer’s musical partner, Tom Shipley, confirmed the news of his death in a Facebook post. A post on the band’s Facebook page said Brewer had “battled multiple illnesses for the past 3 years.” Though no official cause of death has been revealed.
“My friend of 65 years and music partner for over 60, had to go,” he wrote, alongside a photo of Brewer. “I saw him on Saterday at Cox Hospital in Branson and he told me he wanted to go home. He was weak and very tired.”
Shipley, 83, added: “They took him home on Sunday and his wife Scarlett called this morning to tell me he was gone. So tonight I will raise a glass to Michael and drink to all those years, all those miles, all those songs, and all the heavenly audiences we played for. Go with God my friend. I’ll see you on the other side.”
News of Brewer’s death was also shared on the band’s Facebook page.
“Is it with great sadness we must share that Michael Brewer passed away earlier today (12/17) having battled multiple illnesses for the past 3 years,” the post read.
Born in April 1944 in Oklahoma City, Charles “Michael” Brewer was the eldest of four children. In high school, he played drums and sang in a rock band before playing guitar. Following his graduation in 1962, he began performing his own music in coffee houses throughout the U.S. and met Shipley at one of the events in Kent, Ohio.
Brewer formed the duo Mastin & Brewer in 1965 alongside singer-songwriter Tom Mastin, whose song “How Do You Feel” was eventually recorded by Jefferson Airplane. The pair relocated to Los Angeles and signed with Columbia Records, forming a group that opened for artists like the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield.
However, Mastin left the band before they recorded an album. Brewer then teamed up with Shipley, who was living close by in Los Angeles, and they became songwriters for a publishing arm of A&M Records.
Brewer & Shipley circa 1970.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Brewer & Shipley found success in the late 1960s and early 1970s for their socially conscious lyrics and commentary on the Vietnam War. They earned a top 10 hit in 1971 with “One Toke Over the Line,” which paid homage to marijuana and the free-love spirit of the time.
“We wrote it literally entertaining ourselves and to make our friends laugh,” Brewer said of the single in a 2022 interview on NPR’s A Breath of Fresh Air.
He added: “We were getting ready to go onstage for our fourth set, and a friend came by with some really good Lebanese hash. We stepped out back and took a couple of tokes and came back in to tune up for our last set, and Tom said, ‘Man, I’m one toke over the line.’ And I just cracked up.”
Throughout their career, they also landed two other songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “Tarkio Road,” which reached No. 55 in 1970, and “Shake Off the Demon,” which earned the No. 98 spot in 1972.
Michael Brewer in February 1973.
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
In 1980, Brewer & Shipley amicably disbanded, but got back together for a special show in Kansas City, along with more reunion shows in 1987. They eventually formed their own company One Toke Productions and have penned tracks and recorded two CDs.
The pair also continued to perform together.
Brewer also released several solo LPs including 1983’s Beauty Lies, which was produced by Dan Fogelberg; 2004’s Michael Brewer/ Retro Man, 2010’s It Is What It Is; and 2012’s Dancing with My Shadow.
