Hollywood Fats
Hollywood Fats (March 17, 1954 – December 8, 1986)[1] was an American blues guitarist, active in Los Angeles, California, United States.
Biography
Hollywood Fats was born Michael Leonard Mann in Los Angeles, and started playing guitar at the age of 10. While in his teens, his mother would drive him to various clubs in South Central Los Angeles to jam with well-known blues musicians when they came to town. Hollywood Fats' father was a doctor and his siblings went on to become doctors and lawyers. He met Buddy Guy and Junior Wells who gave him the nickname.[2] Hollywood Fats toured with James Harman, Jimmy Witherspoon, J. B. Hutto, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Albert King.
During the 1970s and 1980s he worked with the blues harmonica player and singer James Harman. He played on a number of his records including Extra Napkin's, Mo' Na'Kins, Please, Those Dangerous Gentlemans and Live in '85. Other guitarists with whom he played included Junior Watson, Kid Ramos and Dave Alvin.
Hollywood Fats was invited to be a sideman to Muddy Waters and later met the harmonica player Al Blake. Blake had just moved to Los Angeles from Oklahoma. In 1974, Hollywood Fats and Blake formed a band consisting of pianist Fred Kaplan, Richard Innes on drums and Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor called the Hollywood Fats Band.[3]
For a King Biscuit Flower Hour concert on September 7, 1979, which was later to be released on record, Hollywood Fats played the lead guitar in Canned Heat.
The Hollywood Fats Band released a self-titled album in 1979, the only album under their name. The band broke up not long after and Hollywood Fats continued to play with Harman's band, and The Blasters in 1986 replacing Dave Alvin.
Hollywood Fats also played with a non-blues band called Dino's Revenge from 1985 through 1986. He recorded three songs with Dino's Revenge as well as playing several live performances.[4] The band consisted of Marshall Rohner of T.S.O.L. as well as Kevan Hill, Butch Azevedo and Steven Ameche all of The Twisters.[5]
Hollywood Fats died of a heroin overdose in 1986 in Los Angeles at the age of 32. At the time of his death, he was playing with the James Harman Band, the Blasters and Dino's Revenge.
Band reunion
Around 2002, the remaining original members of the Hollywood Fats Band were reunited with young Kirk Fletcher on guitar, and recorded some new material. The first of the recordings came out on Al Blake's solo album Dr. Blakes Magic Soul Elixir released in 2002. This new version of the band started calling themselves the Hollywood Blue Flames. They released two albums under their name from Delta Groove Productions. The second album Road To Rio came with a CD titled Larger Than Life which consisted of previously unreleased live recordings of the original Hollywood Fats Band.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Hollywood Fats Band | PBR | The original release |
| 1993 | Rock This House | Black Top | Re-issue of the 1979 album |
| 2002 | Hollywood Fats Band | CrossCut (German) | The complete 1979 recordings |
| 2006 | Larger Than Life | Delta Groove Productions | Unissued live recordings |
| 2008 | Hollywood Fats & The Paladins - Live 1985 | TopCat Records TCT6082 | Recorded live at the Greenville Bar & Grill, Dallas Texas, December 1985 |
| 1986 | Dino's Revenge - Live at Madame Wong's - 1986 | Falco Productions | Recorded live at Madame Wong's West, Santa Monica, CA - November 1986 |
References
- ↑ Liner notes from Al Blake's album Dr. Blakes Magic Soul Elixir by Eric LeBlanc
- ↑ Allmusic bio by Char Ham
- ↑ Liner notes from Al Blake's album Dr. Blakes Magic Soul Elixir by Eric LeBlanc
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