By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Little Feat drummer and Iowa native Richie Hayward says he doesn't know what his band's place is in the annals of rock 'n' roll history, but he does know why it has staying power after 36 years.

"We're unusual," he says. "We don't play a specific style, we play 20 different styles of music and it's fun."

Since its inception in 1969, Little Feat's eclectic, memorable songs like "Easy to Slip," "Triple Face Boogie" and "Dixie Chicken" has been a lasting fixture on rock's landscape. A freewheeling fusion of California rock and Dixie-influenced boogie, its unconventional sound is a hybrid of rock, folk, blues, jazz, country and funk that continues to elicit the question, "How do you describe your music?"

"I get that one all the time," Hayward says with a laugh. "The answer is 'music.' It doesn't march to any mainstream drummer."

No one, by the way, has ever accused Little Feat's drummer of being mainstream. His response to an advertisement placed in a Los Angeles newspaper in 1966 by the group's founder, Lowell George - "drummer wanted, must be freaky" - helped lead to the formation of Little Feat. It was with that group of colorful characters, including George, formerly of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, pianist Bill Payne and bassist Roy Estrada, that Hayward found a musical kinship. "We all had this beast to be fed and the music fed it," he says.

Soon after its formation, Little Feat signed with Warner Brothers Records, where in various configurations, it released a dozen critically acclaimed and popular albums. Though George's death in 1979 signaled the end of an era, it didn't prevent Little Feat from moving forward. Though the band took a two-year hiatus from 1986 to 1988, it reformed with a few new players in tow. The last lineup change included the addition of vocalist Shaun Murphy in 1995, who, Hayward says, has proven to be an asset to the group.

"She provides a female point of view to our music that's been missing, and she's got a real big voice," he says. "She carries her weight."

First-rate musicianship has long been a Little Feat hallmark. Its members are also sought-after sidemen and solo artists. Hayward's lengthy resume alone is the stuff legends are made of, including tours and records with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Buddy Guy, Warren Zevon and Tom Waits. It likely helped him gain entry last year into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame and one day, most likely, will warrant induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Making music with other people is good," Hayward says. "It keeps the band fresh and adds to your arsenal of licks."

Hayward also credits the band's improvisational style and, most importantly, fan interaction for constantly rejuvenating the band. The group plays more than 90 concerts a year and hasn't grown tired of life on the road.

"The audience response is tremendous," he says. "It's much better than working in the studio, for me."

Last week, Little Feat released "Barnstormin' Live," a live album of obscure tunes. They released it on Hot Tomato Records, a label they formed in an attempt to gain their own financial and creative control.

"We got tired of being screwed by the record company so we decided to screw ourselves," Hayward says. "We don't sell huge numbers of records, but we don't have executives interfering with our process."

Hayward admits the thought of owning a record label seems far removed from his humble Iowa roots where he was raised in Ames and played his first gig at the age of 12 at the Moose Lodge in Nevada. Growing up he dreamed of touring the world with a rock band, but had no idea he would still be doing it at age 59.

"Back then, I thought when you hit 30 you were over the hill," he says. "The fact that I'm able to work this much at my age in rock 'n' roll is a gift."

A gift, Hayward adds, that he plans to enjoy for many more years.

"There's going to be a time when my body will deny me and I'll have to deal with that then," he says. "Probably about the age of 90." CV

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