A longtime house producer at Warner Bros. Records, Ted Templeman hit his greatest heights through his extended affiliations with the Doobie Brothers and Van Halen. Born October 24, 1944, in Santa Cruz, CA, he began his musical career as a drummer in a variety of local bands; in time he joined the Tikis, who in 1966 evolved into Harpers Bizarre. Not only did Templeman assume vocal and guitar duties with Harpers Bizarre, but he also arranged their tight harmonies, eventually even assisting producer Lenny Waronker in the studio. After Harpers disbanded in 1970, Waronker tapped Templeman to join the Warner production staff, where his first assignment was to helm the Doobie Brothers' eponymous 1971 debut LP. Though the album was a commercial failure, the group's follow-up, 1972's Toulouse Street, went platinum on the strength of the smash "Listen to the Music," and Templeman continued as the Doobies' producer throughout the remainder of their career, overseeing hits including "Takin' It to the Streets," "China Grove," "Rockin' Down the Highway," and "What a Fool Believes."