Little Feat is a band who have mixed blues, R&B, country and rock and roll styles together since they formed in 1969 in Los Angeles, and are known for their eclectic blend of many forms of music.
The band was formed by two former members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention: songwriter and guitarist Lowell George, who also provided vocals and slide guitar; plus Roy Estrada on bass guitar. They were joined by drummer Richard Hayward and Bill Payne on keyboards.
Their first two albums, Little Feat and Sailin' Shoes, received good reviews and spawned a classic in George's song "Willin'". But lack of commercial success led to the band splitting up, with Estrada leaving music to work in the computer industry. In 1972 Little Feat reformed with bassist Kenny Gradney replacing Estrada, and also adding a second guitarist, Paul Barrere, and percussionist Sam Clayton. This new lineup radically altered the Little Feat sound and brought fresh songwriting capabilities to the band. The group went on to record Dixie Chicken (1973)—one of the band's most popular albums, which incorporated New Orleans musical influences and styles—as well as Feats Don't Fail Me Now (1974), which was a studio-recorded attempt to capture some of the energy found in many of their live shows from around that time.
Little Feat reached a musical peak in this mid- 1970s period. Although outdone in sales and popularity by other rock contemporaries, they had built up a solid audience following through their album releases and incessant touring, were being hailed as exceptional and groundbreaking by most music journalists, and as proof of their musical integrity and influence could count members of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin among their loyal fans.
