A Tribute to Hollywood Fats

[newsmanbluesman]

Al you and Mr Mann's LP first play in Dec of '79 is like this: I remember the room, the time of year and day- everything that goes with it. Your wry-smile vocal and harp tone are just about as stuck in my mind as is the guitar tone, and timing/phrasing, on that record. We started trying to play w your guys vibe. Roomful T Birds Piazza Musselwhite had LPs that year - None as hip and friendly as what you and Fats fronted. Incredibly 25 years without him as of last month. Thanks for your kind work

[dd1yr]

any chance of a songlist of the tunes used in this tribute and where they're from?

[TexasToneBlog]

Fats was a friend of mine...Thank You for posting the vid.

HF was a Person / musician we should never forget, an

honest to goodness American Treasure. RIP

[rtblues]

YEAH MAN! Thanks for this video! FATS LIVES!

What a swinging cat he was!!!!

FATS FOREVER!

[thebansheeman]

Thanks for this Tribute To Fats Al, he was a great musician and a greater man.

[jazmaan]

Fats played some rollicking harp on the late Hal Jepsen's surf movie soundtrack "A Sea For Yourself". Wish your video tribute featured more of his harmonica!

[SDPickups]

Thanks Al for putting this up, have never seen this before. What kills me, is I was in Los Angeles in '83 and never heard of Fats when I was there, I couldn't wait to get OUT of that town, too fast for me. Do you know what year 335 Fat's guitar was, and where is it now? Would be awesome for Gibson to do a tribute signature guitar, but they'd price it so high only rich guys who can't play would buy one, LOL.

[thailow117]

Mr. Blake, thank you for this short bio, and these amazing pics. articles by dan forte etc. quite a few familiar names. just great. cheers from cologne/germany!

[1farmslave]

Mike was my next door neighbor in Santa Monica ca, many many great memories!!

[ssmark123]

Great tribute.

[stizodd]

Hi Al! This is your old pal from Jack's(in San Francisco), John Stodd.

[nalpak96]

I'm sorry fo saying that I get emotional some time I'm from Iraq. So don mess with me foo.

[nalpak96]

Fuck you

[abc123gpl]

thx for upping ! i like it !

5 Stars !

[a40sgal]

What was the official cause of Hollywood Fats untimely passing ?

[jayscott49]

Heart attack as I recall. Saw him many times, always made the room spin.

[mrbissonet]

I caught Fats live many times including him sitting in with Buddy Guy at the Ash Grove when he was about 14 years old. He studied the music of the masters and played with taste, precision and a fire that is almost unmatched. He deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. We miss you, Fats.

[bluescorral]

there never be another Hollywood,or Muddy or Sam and Shakey Jake

[darrenwatsonband]

I am a one man NZ fan club for Michael. All the 'strat in a hat' guys over here don't get it . . . Fats was pure genius.

[shrine52]

...Have been inspired by Michael! Rock this House, is a classic! Thanks AL...

[shrine52]

You be surprised to know al many guitar players here in Brasil

[MilwMike]

Pure genius. Thanks Al

[diskullman]

Thanks Al! I've been a huge Hollywood Fats Fansincearound 1980, never heard of him but I bought the album cause the cover looked cool. I never got to see him live, except on TV when he did Farmaid with the Blasters. I met most of the band (except you) a few years back and begged them to release any hidden recordings, the world need smore.

[popokona]

I can never get enough of fats.I am lucky I got to see you guys when I was hanging out with my dad The Mole even though I was 9yrs old I'm 42 now

[3bar]

Fats played guitar for Canned Heat at the 10 year Woodstock Revival in 1979 on Long Island. Fats was in top form and the band kicked ass!

[BigAlBlake]

thanks for the memories of one of the truly greatest.have you heard the fantastic live recordings of fats from 79 and 80 on "road to rio" and "larger than life" on delta groove productions,a dbl cd.its all there, every bit of his amazing genius. blessings AB

[girardey1]

This is so cool to be able to watch these clips of Fats. He always amazed me and I used to sit and try to learn his licks when he would play small places like the Quiet Woman in Corona Del Mar. Soon I figured it out, that it was no use to try to copy this cat, he was in a league of his own and still is all these years later. Thanks for keeping his legend and music alive.

[ozbluesman]

Thanks for this most appropriate and fitting testimonial. About 12 years ago I sat down and transcribed about 5 of Fat's songs. It transformed the way I played guitar. He was brilliant.His legacy lives on. Thank you again for this wonderful music.

[blues999z]

Michael "HOLLYWOOD FATS" Mann is a Major League BLUES KING who had one Priority in Life and that was to PLAY the BLUES and to

PLAY the BLUES the "HOLLYWOOD FATS" WAY which is EXACTLY what he did !!!

[rapchop2]

Al! What a great tribute man.

Thanks for putting it together to help get the folks hip to Fats and all the great things you guys do/did.

It was a pleasure to sit in with you guys last year... a real highlight for me... look forward to hearing you again down in California.

R

[BigAlBlake]

Blessings to you rapchop2,2 brand new cds in the pipe-best yet,look for them.we will always bring you the best possible in 100% pure unadulterated blues - just as we have always done since 1976. Al Blake

[vanderBroek]

Silence!!!!!!!!!

Hollywood fats makes me speechless, already for many years. I'm continuously working on my Fats crusade in the Netherlands, since only a few people have his music, less than 15 as far as I know. I was lucky to ran into a fan 7 years ago who introduced me to West coast blues and Fats (I was 30 by then). I feel very privileged to be so lucky!

Thanks Mr. Blake (I really love your Mr. Blakes blues CD)

Cheers,

JW

[BigAlBlake]

Blessings to you, most likely there will not be another "Hollywood Fats" for a long time to come,if ever for that matter.The problem is -most people are either not intelectually honest enough to admit it or incapable of hearing and valuing true blues music."Fats'was a natural musician in every sense of the word.You have to be to play like he did.The truly greatest blues players are like the greatest athletes--- you either have it or you do not.Its that simple! Al Blake

[vanderBroek]

Silence!!!!!!!!!

Hollywood fats makes me speechless, already for many years. I'm continuously working on my Fats crusade in the Netherlands, since only a few people have his music, less than 15 as far as I know. I was lucky to ran into a fan 7 years ago who introduced me to West coast blues and Fats (I was 30 by then). I feel very privileged to be so lucky!

Thanks Mr. Blake (I really love your Mr. Blakes blues CD)

Cheers,

JW

[Grogor1]

What can you say? The man who wrote the next chapter... Simply the best!

[blsdwnstr]

I met a guy in 1996 that my band backed up in Alabama named Little Whitt Wells. As musicians do we talked about guitarists and I expounded about my favorites hoping to impress the old man. He told me in no uncertain terms that I didn't "know shit". Fats was the only man he ever met that had mastered the guitar.

I went out the next day and bought his record. He was right. Fats was the best.

RIP, Fats. You are most certainly missed.

Love the Blue Flames a lot BTW

[lilronnigd]

Hi Al,

Thanks for the cool post. I've been playing blues on the east coast simce the 60's amd we use to hear about the great west coast players, but we didn't start getting any records from out your way until the 80's, love that west coast style. Hope you're doing well, I'm a big fan.

Best,

ronnie

[Tweety2U2]

Love it!

Rest in peace, always rock on!

[gittafiddle]

Thank you so much for this tribute! I've worn out several Hollywood Fats Band tapes since my early teens. Fats is the greatest guitar player ever.

[BigAlBlake]

Blessings 2 u - Al Blake

[taildragger51]

Thank you for this. Michael Mann was a sad loss to the Blues guitar world. A killer player with a superb tone. Highly underrated when he was alive. Kirk Eli Fletcher extols Fats virtues all the time and Kirk knows about Blues guitar. I always loved Kirk's tribute called "Mr Mann" from his CD " I'm Here & I'm Gone".

[silkee59]

Thank you for sharing this with all of us!

[jwjones1]

That's killer Al, thanks for sharing. I am way too young to have seen him, but he's obviously a huge influence, and I was fortunate to work with Richard and Larry on my new cd - and you're right - they are the best! :) Chat soon - hope to meet you sometime sooner than later! JW-Jones

[ted149]

Thanks Al, that's a wonderful tribute! So good to see all those pics and hear the rare audio clips. Here's to Fats.

[Lester1Moran]

WAY cool, Al! Outstanding tribute! Fats was without a doubt one of the greatest Bluesmen to ever walk the planet and currently a most distinguished member of the Elysian Fields Blues Band!! Thanks for doing all you do to keep his memory alive!!!! Stay Cool!

RC

[diventenis]

Wonderful video....great job and so informative.  Thank you for sharing!

[noe83]

Great video, cool photos!!! Thanks Man!!! I hope You will release soon some new old unknown stuff with Fats and Blue Flames like Larger Than Life which was outstanding!!!

[chuckadam11]

So this was Hollywood Fats! He deserves to be remembered, and you done real good here, Al. Thank you.

[1Bluham]

What a treat for us and labor of love for you. A wonderful tribute. Thanks Al.

[urmasvi]

The Greatest guitar player ever! Thanks Big Al

Arto