passings
Paul Barrere July 3 1948 - October 26, 2019
Paul Barrere died on October 26 at the
UCLA Hospital at the age of 71. He was a gui- tarist, singer and songwriter best known for his long tenure with the rock band Little Feat, formed in 1969 and known for its distinctive blend of musical influence. No cause of death was given, but Bar-
rere had learned a few years ago that he had liver cancer and had been fighting the dis- ease. His survivors include his wife, Pam, and three children, Gabriel, Genevieve and Gillian. Little Feat never reached the height of
fame that they deserved, and never had a hit single. But they became a staple on album- oriented FM rock radio with infectious songs like “Dixie Chicken” and “Sailin’ Shoes,” and it attracted both critical acclaim and a fiercely loyal cult following. The band’s unique sound blended in-
fluences from New Orleans rhythm and blues, country, hard rock, and evenf funk and jazz.” Barrere was not an original member of
Little Feat. He had auditioned as a bassist when the band was being formed but was passed over for Roy Estrada who, along with the band’s lead singer, lead guitarist and chief songwriter, Lowell George, had worked with Frank Zappa. After Estrada left the band in 1972,
Barrere joined on rhythm guitar and vocals. The new lineup’s first album, Dixie Chicken (1973), won the band a legion of new fans. Barrere wrote or co-wrote some of Lit-
tle Feat’s best-known songs, including “All That You Dream,” “Time Loves a Hero” and “Old Folks Boogie.” He sometimes sang lead,
Paul Barrere and Lowell George.
although George remained the band’s focal point. George died in 1979, and Little Feat broke up that year. Barrere went on to work with the group the Bluesbusters and recorded two albums as a leader. Little Feat reunited in 1987, adding two new members, and Barrere began doing more of the lead singing and songwriting, as well as taking more of the gui- tar solos. Little Feat has remained together ever
since, with relatively few changes in person- nel, and recently toured in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Barrere did not take part in the tour but had said that he hoped to rejoin the band next year. Paul Barrere was born in Burbank,
Calif., on July 3, 1948. His parents, Paul and Claudia Barrere, were actors who both worked under the professional name Bryar. Barrere promised to follow his doctor’s
orders, get back in shape, and perform again at the band’s annual gathering in Jamaica in January 2020. •
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