▁of ▁L our des ▁Cad ets ▁and ▁Fair ▁La wn ▁Cad ets . ▁His ▁discipline ▁to ▁play ▁alongside ▁other ▁drum mers ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁his ▁instruct ors ▁Bob ▁Pet erson , ▁George ▁T utt le ▁and ▁Joe ▁Wh el an , ▁all ▁to ▁whom ▁he ▁gave ▁much ▁credit . ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁high ▁school , ▁he ▁served ▁for ▁four ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁during ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁era . ▁After ▁being ▁honor ably ▁dis charg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁he ▁returned ▁home ▁to ▁New ▁Jersey ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁law ▁enfor cement , ▁but ▁a ▁close ▁friend ▁talked ▁him ▁into ▁aud ition ing ▁for ▁a ▁California - based ▁band ▁called ▁M our ning ▁Re ign . ▁After ▁a ▁gru eling ▁st int ▁in ▁up state ▁New ▁York , ▁the ▁band ▁re located ▁to ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁bay ▁area ▁and ▁signed ▁with ▁a ▁production ▁company ▁that ▁had ▁also ▁signed ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁rock ▁band , ▁the ▁Do ob ie ▁Brothers . ▁ ▁Although ▁M our ning ▁Re ign ▁was ▁short - l ived , ▁H oss ack ' s ▁ab ilities ▁gained ▁considerable ▁expos ure ▁and ▁having ▁learned ▁of ▁his ▁avail ability , ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁jam ▁with ▁the ▁Do ob ies ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁Little ▁did ▁he ▁know ▁that ▁the ▁" j am ▁session " ▁was ▁an ▁actual ▁aud ition ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁B im bo ' s ▁ 3 6 5 ▁Club . ▁After ▁hearing