Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of the Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward in 1969.

The band's classic line-up, in place by late 1972, comprised George, Payne, Hayward, bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist and vocalist Paul Barrere, and percussionist Sam Clayton.

Hayward had also been a member of the Fraternity of Man whose claim to fame was the inclusion of their "Don't Bogart That Joint" on the million-selling Easy Rider film soundtrack.

[3] When it came time to record "Willin'," George had hurt his hand in an accident with a model airplane, so Ry Cooder sat in and played the song's slide part.

In March 1976, Little Feat served as the backing band on the first side of Akiko Yano's debut studio album Japanese Girl [ja], released on the Philips label.

Also present was evidence of a late change to the running order of tracks: the lyrics for Barrere's song "Hi Roller" were printed on the sleeve, but scored out, and the words "maybe next time" scrawled over them.

Waiting for Columbus is considered by many rock music critics to be one of the best live albums of all time, despite the fact that significant portions of George's vocals and slide work were over-dubbed later in the studio.

In an interview with Bill Flanagan (for the book Written in My Soul) conducted eleven days before his death, George made it clear that he felt the demise of Little Feat was due to his having allowed the band to be run democratically, with the result that Payne and, to a lesser extent, Barrere, had a presence as songwriters and in production which was disproportionate to their abilities.

Payne has always been a popular and busy session musician, as well as a songwriter, and during the band's first hiatus performed on a variety of albums by many famous musicians including J. J. Cale, the Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Pink Floyd, Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Nicks.

The surviving former members of Little Feat then reformed in 1987 when Barrere, Clayton, Gradney, Hayward and Payne added songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Craig Fuller, formerly from the band Pure Prairie League, and Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet.

He went on to join a re-formed Pure Prairie League, who in 2005 released their critically acclaimed All in Good Time, which heavily featured his songwriting, singing and acoustic guitar.

Murphy had sung on all of the recent Little Feat albums and throughout 1993 she had toured as part of Bob Seger's band with Fred Tackett and Bill Payne.

As well as having material specifically written for her, fans attracted to her hard-edged powerhouse voice, further albums Under the Radar and Chinese Work Songs saw Murphy become an integral part of the group sharing lead vocals and writing with Payne and Barrere.

Her rendition of Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh" was first recorded in studio on Chinese Work Songs and became a favorite in live appearances with Murphy.

In 2008, the group released Join the Band, an album featuring collaborations with Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Béla Fleck, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Robinson, Vince Gill, Mike Gordon, and Inara George.

In 1994, Paul Barrere had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and, in 2013, took a leave of absence from touring with Little Feat to combat the disease, and to remain close to his health providers.

The video introduced a new band lineup with Tony Leone, known for his work with Levon Helm and Phil Lesh, joining on drums in place of Gabe Ford.

[20] Some of the prominent musicians and bands to play and record the music of Little Feat include Phish,[21] The Black Crowes, The Byrds, The Bridge, Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Taylor Hicks, Ron Holloway, Keisuke Kuwata, Nicolette Larson, Nazareth, Robert Palmer, The Radiators, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Seatrain, John Sebastian, Richard Shindell, Carly Simon, Mick Taylor, Van Halen, Joe Walsh,[22] Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Sam Bush, Coco Montoya, Vince Herman, Inara George, Stephen Bruton, Widespread Panic, Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule, Blackberry Smoke, Jimmy Buffett, Anders Osborne,Tedeschi Trucks Band and Gregg Allman.

In 2010, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey Phish covered Little Feat's album, Waiting for Columbus, for their annual Halloween show.

[24] Little Feat's songs "Sailin' Shoes" and "Fat Man in the Bathtub" were featured prominently in the 2010 Edward Norton film Leaves of Grass.

[26] Little Feat’s musical style is marked by an eclectic fusion of genres, incorporating elements of rock, blues, jazz, country, and funk.

Early albums like Sailin’ Shoes introduced a blend of country rock with folk influences, while Dixie Chicken showcased a distinctive New Orleans-inspired funk sound that became a hallmark of their style.

[27] Their music is also known for its complex rhythms and instrumental improvisations, influenced by bandleader Lowell George's bottleneck guitar work, a defining aspect of their early recordings.

[27] Rolling Stone has described them as a “cult band” with a sound that drew on the musical traditions of cities like New Orleans and Memphis, but with an idiosyncratic twist, blending Southern and swamp rock elements into a “zany South-West synthesis.”[28] By the late 1970s, They began incorporating jazz-rock fusion, evident in tracks such as Day at the Dog Races, reflecting a shift in their sound toward jazz influences.

[29] Their live performances are celebrated for their jam band qualities, often characterized by extended instrumental sections that capture the improvisational spirit of jazz while retaining a Southern rock foundation.

Source:[32] Since 2003 Little Feat has organised an annual fans' trip to Jamaica, where the full band plays several shows, often with guests, and various members perform solo and duo sets.