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Formed in 1969 in Los
Angeles by two former members of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, songwriter,
multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Lowell George and Roy Estrada on bass guitar,
completing the line up were drummer Richard Hayward and Bill Payne on
keyboards. Little Feat’s music is eclectic mix of blues, R&B, country and
rock and roll.
 They were soon signed to
Warner Bros., where Little Feat, in various configurations, would remain for
twelve of their sixteen albums. This initial line-up recorded the band’s
first two LPs, 1971 self-titled “Little Feat”, featuring the classic cut
Willin, and its follow-up, Sailin’ Shoes, which added Easy To Slip, Trouble,
Tripe Face Boogie, Cold Cold Cold and the infectious title track to their
repertoire. ''Little
Feat'' and ''Sailin' Shoes'', received good reviews but failed commercially,
and the band split up until 1972 when it reformed with Kenny Gradney
replacing Estrada. This new incarnation also included guitarist Paul Barrere
and percussionist Sam Clayton.
Next up was Dixie
Chicken (’73), a New Orleans-influenced gumbo of greatness that offered up the
signature title track and Fat Man In The Bathtub, among other delights. The
two LPs that followed, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (’74) and The Last Record
Album (’75) served up Rock & Roll Doctor, Oh, Atlanta, and All That You
Dream, respectively, while 1977’s Time Loves a Hero offered up, in fine Feats
fashion, another unforgettable title track. That same year delivered the
aforementioned Waiting For Columbus, forever memorializing their legendary
stage prowess.
During Little Feat’s recording of their eighth album as a group, 1979’s Down
On The Farm, founding member Lowell George—who had already been veering
towards solo work—met a tragic and untimely passing. Except for Hoy, a 1981
full-length assemblage of rarities, live performances, previously overlooked
tracks, and a new song apiece from Payne and Barrere, Little Feat disbanded
until the mid-‘80s. At that point, their own lyrics from Hangin' On To The
Good Times Here, “…although going their separate ways, they found themselves
that a chance jam session in 1986 brought them together again, they were then
reminded of how deeply Little Feat’s music was ingrained in them.
 In 1988, the reformed band,
with new members Craig Fuller (handling George’s vocal duties) and Fred
Tackett rekindled Feat’s magic for fans old and new alike. That year, they
released the lively reunion album Let It Roll, and the singles Hate To Lose
Your Lovin' and, of course, the title track. The 1989 follow-up, Representing
The Mambo, would prove to be their last for Warner Bros. Next came 1991’s
Shake Me Up (on Morgan Creek), after which Fuller's vocals were replaced by those of female singer
Shaun Murphy and
released an acclaimed studio album, Ain’t Had Enough Fun in 1995 (this time
on Zoo). Shaun’s feminine energy and powerful, seasoned, bluesy vocalizations
certainly upped the fun quotient for a recharged Little Feat. Miss Murphy began her career
working in Detroit, Michigan, most notably in theatre, and received a record
contract with Rare Earth Records, a division of Motown Records, as a member
of a duet with notable recording artist Meat Loaf. The duet team later
disbanded, and Miss Murphy went on to sing and record with renowned artists
such as Eric Clapton and Bob Seger, prior to joining "Little Feat"
as a replacement for Craig Fuller. The replacement was not an easy task for a
female in an all-male band, but Murphy adjusted, and soon became one of the
band's biggest attractions in their evolution.
In 1998, Little Feat
released Under The Radar, their first album on CMC International.
Spotlighting a confident and well-oiled configuration of first-rate talents,
Under The Radar delivered a consistently strong set of songs including new
Feat favourites Home Ground, Eden’s Wall, and Calling The Children Home. With
2000’s Chinese Work Songs, also on CMC, Little Feat’s ever-evolving
repertoire grew even more, featuring original compositions including Marginal
Creatures, Eula, and Another Sunday, as well as vibrant covers of Bob Dylan,
The Band and Phish songs.
In 2002, "Little
Feat" then launched their own record label, Hot Tomato Records.
Some of the prominant musicians and bands to play, record, and cover the
music of "Little Feat" include The Byrds, Garth Brooks, Jackson
Browne, Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Randy Newman, Robert Palmer, Bonnie
Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, John Sebastian, Van Halen, Joe Walsh, and Bob Weir.
"Little Feat" one of the hardest working bands continues to play and tour all over the world and are
regarded by many rock music critics as a "band's band", and as
being one of the greatest rock bands in American rock music history.
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