A Tribute to Hollywood Fats

Al Blake shares a 16-year close friendship with Hollywood Fats in photographs and music

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hollywood
• Fats
• Al
• Blake
• Blues
• Guitar
• Blue
• Flames

[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

[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

[newsmanbluesman]

@BigAlBlake

Fantastic coming back to this - hope you saw my comment, consider it underlined

[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!!