He was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died. He played a small role in the February 9, 1967 episode of “F Troop” as a member of a band called the Bedbugs. But mostly he was known as an agile musician and the adept drummer for the blues, jazz and dixieland influenced rock band, Little Feat. Richie Hayward, drummer for and founding member of Little Feat, passed away August 12, 2010 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.
One of Little Feat’s live strengths was the musical tension created as its guitarists, among them Lowell George and Paul Barrere, moved in improvisational directions which were both in sync to, and at odds with, ideas simultaneously pursued by keyboardist Bill Payne. Hayward’s percussive genius was his ability to hold together such extemporized adventures and maintain the framework of the song. He will be sorely missed.
In addition to Little Feat, Hayward is said, by Wikipedia, to have performed and recorded with a who’s who of the most innovative popular musicians of his time, including Joan Armatrading, Delaney Bramlett, Kim Carnes, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, James Cotton, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, Arlo Guthrie, Jonny Lang, Nils Lofgren, Taj Mahal, Robert Palmer, Van Dyke Parks, Robert Plant, Bob Seger, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, Tom Waits, John Cale, Warren Zevon, Warren Haynes and Helen Watson.
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