The Doobie Brothers - China Grove (live 1974) “China Grove” is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released in 1973 on their third studio album, The Captain and Me. It was written and sung by the band’s original lead singer and songwriter Tom Johnston.[4] The song reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. While there is a real place named China Grove in Texas, Johnston’s lyrics about the community are mostly fictional. The song spent eight weeks in the Top 40. #doobiebrothers