In the summer of 1980, three young men (whose parents must have been hoping for some sort of miracle) found themselves randomly assigned to a dorm at BYU for their freshman year. Bradley, a drummer from Las Vegas, lived in a centrally-located room, and ended up rooming with Ric, a guitarist from Phoenix, and began hanging out with Bob, a bassist from Southern California, forming a band and, whenever and wherever they could, began performing the classic rock and the heavier new wave of the late ‘70s.  Though they didn’t know it yet, not only would they remain as close as brothers for the rest of their lives, but in that tiny dorm room, into which they crammed all their gear for practice sessions, and out of which they would soon be booted for living the rock’n’roll lifestyle with a little too much fervor,  the genesis for one of the most unusual and unique bands and stories was born.

For the next 7 years, together and in separate bands at times (unfailingly supported by the other two), they would add those elements from the newer rock and modern music to their love of the hard rock classics and new material from bands they’d loved in the ‘70s. They learned everything they could about their instruments, songwriting, and band management and dynamics. Most of all, they kept writing and playing, biding their time.  Then, with the popularity of established rockers from the ‘70s and ‘80s exploding, and dozens of newer “hair bands” coming on to the scene, despite being well versed in, if none of those things exactly, they knew they were standing on the threshold of the next chapter of their musical experience.

They relocated to the Salt Lake City area, found a second guitar player, and started gigging. One night in May 1988, the other guitar player was too sick to play and missed the show, but Brad, Ric, and Bob went on anyway. It was a bit rough, to be sure, but then again, they hadn’t planned or prepared to perform their sets three-piece. But as of that night, that’s exactly what they were and would be for the rest of their lives. At that same time, Bob and Ric were discussing a literary work they’d both read and mentioned the name from one of the books, Drool Rockworm. Without context, Brad just heard the word, DROOL, and suggested that as a band name. It fit perfectly and stuck.

What they found in the hard rock scene in Salt Lake City at that time was a fairly incestuous array of bands that formed and reformed constantly, so that they all knew each other well enough to be friends or enemies. The members of DROOL, however, were not from Utah, and knew very few musicians in the Salt Lake area, especially in the hard rock (i.e., the emerging hair band) scene, and given that they did not necessarily fit into the hair band genre, they found little camaraderie initially.  

However, their egoless approach (they could not have cared any less about whether they were the opening act or helping to promote other bands), and the fact that they had an unmatched level of security about their own relationships, having been such close friends for so long (above and beyond being bandmates that respected each other’s’ sacrifices and capabilities), made them easily approachable to those other bands who could similarly put their egos aside and get real. DROOL took the opportunity to tour with almost any band that asked, paying their dues and gaining necessary experience about being on the road, as well as collecting, frankly, too many wild stories to convey here, if even possible. Ultimately, despite their initial “outsider” status, the guys formed many, many friendships during those years that last to this day.

Not having an ego as a musician is a bit of a unicorn, though, so bands existed with whom DROOL had a subtle animosity, but DROOL never focused on that and just kept writing songs and honing their craft for the next five years while the various “flavor-of-the-week” bands continued to do what Utah bands had done since forever, it seemed—forming and reforming—and DROOL watched them come and go. And as the ‘80s transitioned into the ‘90s, not only had DROOL become the elder statement of hard rock bands in SLC, unique in playing set lists with mostly original music and only a handful of covers, but DROOL, who had always been heavier and darker than their hair band counterparts,  was able to continue to play even as the hair band scene started to give way to the alternative and grunge movements. True to form, the members of DROOL absorbed what they could out of both scenes, until they finally stopped performing in late 1993.

Their story, however, did not end. It was not to be a five-year band experience, or even a 13-year friendship centered around music. They remained friends and bandmates through career development, marriage, kids, and integrating the families to the extent their children (the DROOLspawn) thought they cousins. In 2002, they were invited to play their original set for some shows in support of the Salt Lake Olympics. After 10 years, hundreds of DROOL fans showed up in full regalia in support. What an exquisite night of music and memories it turned out to be! In 2014, fans clamored for another reunion and the guys were fully in for their fans, playing a reunion show that included all the originals, covers that covered the gamut from the ‘70s to the 2010s, with numerous friends made during their heyday taking the stage with them to perform it all. Talk of memorializing their careers by putting together an album became irrepressible.

And so, amid careers, family, and other obligations and stresses, DROOL embarked on a mission to find the time to put a few of their best originals out there for their fans. What started as a potential EP with a few of the best of the best of their songs, however, morphed into a full-blown album as they decided there were at least 10 original songs that needed to be released, six of which were on their Eternal Salivation EP, released in 1989.

Finally, after 45 years together, and in the fine tradition of, well, everyone, DROOL is proud to announce that the songs from their 2026 Greatest Hits compilation are starting to roll out and are available on your [preferred streaming service]. If you’re new to our story, welcome. To our many fans over the years, welcome back. We have missed you and are grateful for your seemingly unending support. Either way, drop us a line by using the link below. Otherwise, to paraphrase the little sign I had on the dashboard of my Camaro back in ‘76: “Get in, sit down, shut up, and hang on….”