Little Feat

During its '70s heyday Little Feat carved a unique sound out of rock, R&B and New Orleans funk influences, all filtered through the cocaine-fueled sensibility of its leader, singer/guitarist Lowell George. A musician since childhood, George played in school orchestras and even appeared with his brother on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour at age six. His first recording band, the Factory, also made TV appearances and caught the attention of Frank Zappa, who produced some tracks for them.

Zappa then invited George into the Mothers of Invention in 1968 but this didn't last long; different reports say that Zappa fired George over drug use, or let him go because he recognized George was no sideman. In any case Zappa helped Little Feat get a record deal after George formed the band in 1969 with keyboardist Bill Payne, drummer Richie Hayward and another ex-Mother, Roy Estrada on bass.

Though more spare and eccentric than what followed, each of the first two Feat albums included a signature song-- the debut's "Willin'" and the second's title track, "Sailin' Shoes"-- neither of which was coy about its drug references. The classic lineup was born with the 1972 addition of bassist Kenny Gradney (replacing Estrada), second singer/guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton; all of whom strengthened the band's funky feel and its instrumental flexibility.

Onstage stretching-out became a trademark, evinced on its live album Waiting for Columbus and numerous well-traded bootlegs. Most of the band's trademark songs-"Dixie Chicken," "Rock & Roll Doctor", "Spanish Moon"-came during this era. By 1977 there was friction between George and the rest of the band, who wanted to go into more of a jazz-rock direction. George was largely absent on that year's Time Loves a Hero and began work on his one solo album, Thanks I'll Eat It Here; but the band reconvened to work on its next album, Down On the Farm.

However George died in June 1979 of a heart attack induced by cocaine; the band finished the album and then split up. After breaking for most of the '80s, the remaining Feat members-Barrere, Payne, Hayward, Gradney and Clayton-all regrouped in 1988 with guitarist Fred Tackett (who'd played on George's solo album) and singer/guitarist Craig Fuller (who'd been in Pure Prairie League and sung their hit "Amie").

The reunion started strong with Let it Roll, one of the best-selling Feat albums; but the pressure of replacing George got to Fuller who left two albums later. They next surprised fans by taking on a frontwoman, Shaun Murphy, who'd done backup with them in the past. Initially a full-fledged lead singer, Murphy gradually fell into the background and was let go in 2009.

While some fans never accepted the idea of Little Feat without Lowell George, the surviving members (minus Hayward, who died in 2010 and was replaced by his drum tech Gabe Ford) celebrated the band's 50th anniversary in 2019.