Bill Payne

Infobox musical artist
Name = Bill Payne


Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = William Payne
Alias =
Born = birth date and age|1949|3|12
Waco, Texas
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Organ, Piano
Genre = rock, blues, Southern rock, Funk
Occupation = Keyboardist, Singer
Years_active = 1969-present
Label = Hot Tomato Records
Associated_acts = Little Feat
URL =

Bill Payne (born March 12 1949, Waco, Texas) is a founding member of critically acclaimed American rock band, Little Feat. He is considered to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues music artists by many other piano rock musicians, including Sir Elton John. In addition to his trademark barrelhouse blues piano mastery, evident on such Little Feat tracks as the Payne-penned "Oh Atlanta", he is notable for his work on other keyboards, particularly the Hammond B3 organ.

Payne has worked and recorded with other musicians including J. J. Cale, Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Bryan Adams, Pink Floyd, Bob Seger, Toto, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Helen Watson, Stevie Nicks, and Shocking Edison. He is featured playing the synthesizer, organ, Fender Rhodes, and piano on Bonnie Raitt's album, "Sweet Forgiveness" in 1977. He also wrote "Takin' My Time."

Payne was a pioneer in the development of online music communities. In the early 1990s, he contacted his fan base, and enlisted the help of friend Jay Herbst to develop the Little Feat Grass-roots Movement. This model went on to be a template for many bands in the creation of their "Street Teams." Street Teams enlist the help of bands' fans for purposes of music and concert promotion. These street teams have proven to be an effective vehicle for bringing bands and fans closer together, and forging friendships between them. As an example, Jay Herbst's own band, Shocking Edison, released it's debut CD, "Scientific Curiosity" in 2006, which featured Billy Payne on keyboards and Hammond B3. The Boat Drunks, a Jimmy Buffet-style band, includes another fan-turned-friend, Larry Lister, on drums. The Boat Drunks were added to Payne's own record label, Hot Tomato Records.

Although Payne has been in the music industry for more than 30 years, playing on more than 350 records, he did not release a solo album until the all-instrumental "Cielo Norte" in February 2005.

He wrote or co-wrote many of the songs in Little Feat's catalogue, including:
*"Snakes on Everything"
*"Strawberry Flats"
*"Truck Stop Girl"
*"Brides of Jesus"
*"Tripe Face Boogie"
*"Got No Shadow"
*"Oh Atlanta"
*"Time Loves A Hero"
*"Gringo"

ee also

External links

* [http://www.billpaynemusic.com/ Bill Payne website]
* [http://www.littlefeat.net/index.php?page=discmem#bill Bill Payne Discography]
* [http://www.littlefeat.net Little Feat website]
* [http://www.evans-family.com/bills.htm#wild Something Wild (1966)]
* [http://www.littlegringo.de/FEAT/record/Certain_Fury.htm Certain Fury O.S.T. (1985)]
* [http://www.shockingedison.com/ Shocking Edison Website]