Born on April 13, 1945 in Hollywood, CA, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, Lowell George, founded the band Little Feat after a stint with Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. With help from Zappa, the band signed their first recording contract with Warner Bros. and released their self-titled debut in 1971. It was not a commercial success, having sold only a few thousand copies, but the band’s sound was developed immediately, much of it hinging on George’s songwriting and slide guitar playing.

We could explain, but it’s better to leave that to George (on German TV):

Throughout the 1970s, despite ongoing conflict over the creative direction of the group among its members, Little Feat released albums that explored and blended various elements of American music from blues to Dixieland jazz, always with a hint of the avant garde. By the end of the decade, the band dissolved.

As a producer, Lowell George worked with the Grateful Dead to create their Shakedown Street LP in 1977. His guitar playing can be heard on classic albums from Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, and The Meters.

Lowell George passed away of a cocaine overdose at age 34 in June of 1979.