Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra (born 8 February 1946) is a Mexican musician, best known as the drummer for the American blues rock band Canned Heat.[1][2]
Adolfo de la Parra | |
|---|---|
 Hamburg, March 1974 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | February 8, 1946 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Genres | Blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, author |
| Instrument | Drums |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Member of | Canned Heat |
| Formerly of | Los Sinners Bluesberry Jam |
Early life and career
editParra was born in Mexico City and played in bands such as Los Sinners and Los Hooligans. After moving to the United States, he joined The Sotweed Factor before leaving to play with Bluesberry Jam.[3][4][5]
In 1967, while playing with Bluesberry Jam, Parra was discovered by the members of Canned Heat. He was invited to join the band, replacing drummer Frank Cook, who in turn replaced Parra in Bluesberry Jam—a switch described by the bands as a "simple switch over."[6][better source needed] Parra's first performance with Canned Heat was on December 1, 1967.[4] He later performed with the band at Woodstock in 1969.[7][8][9][10] Parra was given the nickname "Fito," the only non-animal-related moniker among the band members.
Following the death of Larry Taylor in 2019, Parra is the only surviving principal member from the 1960s lineup.[11][12]
In addition to his work with Canned Heat, Parra has performed with blues artists such as The Coasters, T-Bone Walker, Ben E. King, Mary Wells, Etta James, and The Platters.[5] He produced and appeared in the 2007 film Rock 'n Roll Made in Mexico: From Evolution to Revolution[4][13] and authored the 2010 book Living the Blues.[14]
Publications
edit- De La Parra, Fito (2010). Living the Blues: Canned Heat's Story of Music, Drugs, Death, Sex and Survival. Canned Heat Music. p. 412. ISBN 9780967644905.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Locey, Bill (1991-05-16). "Old Flame : Blues rockers Canned Heat have been around for about 25 years, but they may just be warmin' up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Bell, Max (2018-10-19). "Canned Heat: the badass blues band that death couldn't kill". louder. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Canned Heat's drummer relates how police set band up with drugs". Putnampit.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b c ""Made in Mexico, from Evolution to Revolution" Press Release | Happy Trailers HD". 2011-10-06. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b "Strumming for Vets, Guitars, Veteran, Music, Fender, Gibson, Military, Bay Area". strummingforvets.org. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Canned Heat Official WebSite - Biography". 2010-11-20. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Savage, Jon (2009-08-19). "Jon Savage on song: Canned Heat's Woodstock anthem". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Canned Heat brings blues-rock legacy from Woodstock to Rams Head in Annapolis". Wtop.com. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Savio, Jason. "'Born to play': Original drummer brings Canned Heat's blues to the Cape". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Iwasaki, Scott (2019-01-09). "Canned Heat lights up three nights in Park City". Parkrecord.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2019-08-20). "Canned Heat Bassist Larry Taylor Dies at 77". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Scott, TONE (2023-04-03). "My 5 most influential albums: Fito de la Parra of Canned Heat". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Rock 'n Roll Made in Mexico: From Evolution to Revolution (2007)". Mubi.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Living the Blues". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
External links
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