Legendary band announces farewell tour

Little Feat has announced plans for “The Last Farewell Tour,” marking the beginning of the end of their long-running era as one of rock’s most respected live acts. The tour will begin in April 2026 with shows in cities including Austin, Orlando, New Orleans, and Kansas City. Tickets go on sale November 7, with presales starting November 5.

The band, which has been performing in various lineups since its formation in 1969, says the tour’s title is tongue in cheek, a nod to their album The Last Record Album, but reflects a gradual retirement from extensive touring.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, keyboardist and founding member Bill Payne said, “Everybody and their brother is retiring now. But I’ll be honest, I resisted it at first. I’ll be 77 in March, and [guitarist] Fred Tackett is 80 and [bassist] Kenny [Gradney] will be 76 next year. But what’s the rush on farewelling this thing?”

He added that the band’s farewell will be a slow process. “It’s not an immediate cutoff,” Payne said. “When I really thought about it, if you play a venue, you just knock it off your list and don’t have to jump on a bus and go places every night, which is probably not a bad thing. And you can do residences, if they’re available, or play music with other people or do special events.”

Coinciding with the announcement, Little Feat released a new single, “Feathers and a Smile,” a previously unreleased song written by late co-founder Lowell George. The track originates from the unreleased “Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie Suite” from the band’s 1969 debut. It features Bill Payne on piano and vocals, Fred Tackett on mandolin, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, and vocals from Lowell’s daughter, Inara George.

“There’s a sweetness to it, an innocence, that feels like it’s indicative of an earlier time,” Inara told Rolling Stone. “The imagery is a little more Sixties. Part of my dad’s storytelling is that he used words that were not always expected, which is something I admire.”

Little Feat recently earned a Grammy nomination for Sam’s Place and released Strike Up the Band, produced by Vance Powell and featuring contributions from Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. The album captures the group’s trademark mix of groove, grit, and lyrical flair with songs like “Too High to Cut My Hair” and “Shipwrecks.”

Formed in Los Angeles in the late 1960s by Lowell George and Bill Payne, Little Feat became known for their fusion of rock, funk, country, jazz, and New Orleans R&B. They’ve inspired generations of musicians, from The Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt to Led Zeppelin. Today’s lineup, Payne, Tackett, Gradney, Sam Clayton, Scott Sharrard, and Tony Leone, continues to carry that legacy.

Little Feat released the following statement.

Playing is the joy and satisfaction of touring, but it comes with the hard part — travel, the endless miles on a bus.  There’s no dodging the wear and tear, and Little Feat has been playing for quite a while.

With tongue stuck somewhat in cheek, Little Feat announces “The Last Farewell Tour,” which will begin in April 2026.  

It’s definitely not an absolute, never-gonna-play again statement.  This  wind-down will take several years to accomplish, and while it does, Feat will continue to perform and record as long as they are able.  It’s a retirement from the travel of touring. 

Little Feat began in 1969 when Frank Zappa told Lowell George he should start his own band.  As Lowell happened to have a pretty small shoe size, the name became obvious.  He found a partner/keyboard player in Bill Payne and a drummer in Richie Hayward. 

After a few transitions, they added Kenny Gradney (bass), Sam Clayton (percussion), Paul Barrere (guitar) and eventually Fred Tackett (guitar), and began a now 56-year journey that has produced dozens of songs – “Dixie Chicken,” “Oh, Atlanta,” “Willin’,” “Fat Man in the Bathtub” – and a thousand memories. One result was one of the best live albums in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, Waiting for Columbus. 

The road (see above!) is hard, and it cost them first Lowell George in 1979, Richie Hayward in 2010, and Paul Barrere in 2019.  The everlasting Little Feat groove demanded playing, and they added Scott Sharrard (guitar) and Tony Leone (drums), and may well be playing at the very height of their powers, recently releasing a well-received album of original material, Strike Up the Band.  Their inimitable blend of rock, New Orleans swamp boogie, jazz, and blues is not only unique but an ongoing source of delight. 

Feat has an incredible legacy of music and the celebration that comes with it, and the near future will see them honoring their own past with more playing. But it’s time to give the trusty tour bus, however comfy, a rest.

The group will kick off their farewell with two cruise performances in January before beginning the main leg of the tour in April.

The Last Farewell Tour Dates:
Jan 11–18 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Sandy Beaches Cruise 2026
Jan 18–25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Big Easy Cruise 2026
Apr 10 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
Apr 11 – Miramar Beach, FL – Joe Bonamassa’s Sound Wave Beach Weekend 2026
Apr 13 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
Apr 14 – Roanoke, VA – Jefferson Center
Apr 16 – Chattanooga, TN – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
Apr 17 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
Apr 19 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
Apr 20 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
May 3 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
May 5 – Eureka Springs, AR – City Auditorium
May 6 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
May 8 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre
May 9 – St. Charles, IL – Arcada Theatre
May 24 – Thornville, OH – Dark Star Jubilee