Lowell George

Lowell George (April 13, 1945 - June 29, 1979) was an American musician, singer and guitarist, with the pop rock and roll group Little Feat and as a solo artist.

Prior to joining Little Feat, George played with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in the late 1960's. According to George's recollection, he was kicked out of Zappa's group after proposing the song "Willin'," ostensibly because it was about drugs. (The song contains drug use references, but seems to be about the life of a truck driver.) "Willin'" and "Dixie Chicken" are his most well known and frequently recorded songs.

Little Feat enjoyed popularity throughout the 70's, releasing a series of highly regarded studio albums: "Little Feat", "Sailin' Shoes", "Dixie Chicken", "Feats Don't Fail Me Now, "The Last Record Album", and "Time Loves a Hero". The group's 1978 live album "Waiting for Columbus", hailed by some as one of the best live recordings of all time, became their best-selling release. In 1979, Lowell George released a solo album "Thanks I'll Eat It Here" and began a tour in support of the album. After years of battling substance abuse, he died of a heart attack in a hotel room in Arlington, Virginia on June 29, 1979.