Little Feat's Bill Payne shared a lovely tribute to their former bandmate Lowell George.
George, who was a founder and primary guitarist of the American rock band, would have turned 81 years old on Monday. In June 1979, the musician passed away from a heart attack caused by an accidental heroin overdose in a hotel room in Arlington, Virginia, a day after his concert at Washington, D.C.'s Lisner Auditorium, for his tour in support of his solo album, Thanks I'll Eat it Here. He was just 34 years old.
Little Feat continued after George's death, going through multiple lineup changes over the past 50 years. Currently, the group is on their The Last Farewell Tour, celebrating their legacy and transition away from heavy touring. Payne, the group's pianist who has been the only founding member to stay all these years, wrote a beautiful tribute for George on Instagram on Monday.
"On the bus last night, I, like most of us, was feeling good but tired with all that had led up to us being on the road for the first of the Last Farewell Tour shows. For one crazy moment, I had envisioned what 81 candles on a birthday cake would look like, the flames casting dancing shadows on the wall," Payne wrote out. "I know it was a silly thought, but I don’t see any harm in letting imagination take over for what is a big moment in the band’s history and another tip-of-the hat to Lowell George on his birthday."
View this post on InstagramThe American Southern rock band was formed in 1969 in Los Angeles by George, Payne, Roy Estrada and Richie Hayward. In the 1970s, they released an album every year, before breaking up in the 1980s after George left the group, before his death due to creative differences. They eventually reunited again in 1987, and have released 22 albums since, with their most recent being Strike Up The Band last year. The current lineup includes Payne, Sam Clayton, Kenny Gradney, Fred Tackett, Scott Sharrard and Tony Leone.
Though George's exit caused the band to break up for almost a decade, Payne never held it against him, telling Highway 81 Revisted in 2019 that, "he will always be a part of Little Feat."
"For some people, he was the main attraction, until they dig deeper and they see that some songs were written by other people that maybe they thought were written by him. It doesn’t denigrate Lowell at all," Payne said. "He had some wonderful songs, his phrasing was incredible, not only as a guitar player but as a singer in particular. So we honor Lowell every time we hit the stage.”
American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lowell George of Little Feat performing on stage, Wembley, London, 1st September 1975.Michael Putland/Getty Images
The Last Farewell Tour kicked off last Friday night in Orlando, Florida, and is set to conclude on May 9 in St. Charles, Illinois. Tickets are available on Little Feat's official website.
"He was always bigger than life. Time to let loose, indeed," Payne concluded in his Instagram tribute. "Celebrate the man, the band, and our time we have left with each other, of which there is much more to come."
Related: Iconic ’70s Rock Band Announces Update on 50th Anniversary Tour
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