Fred Tackett


Fredrick O. Tackett is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known as a member of the band Little Feat.
In addition to his work with Little Feat, Tackett has played and recorded with many notable artists, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Webb among them. He had an additional side project with another member of Little Feat; he performed as part of a duo with Paul Barrere, as Paul and Fred.

Association with Little Feat

Tackett's association with Little Feat goes back to a friendship with the founder of the band, Lowell George, at the time of its inception. Working as a session player for other musicians, he continued his friendship with the bandmates, and contributed a song "Fool Yourself" to their third album Dixie Chicken as well as acoustic guitar. He also contributed guitar to their sixth album Time Loves a Hero.
In 1979 he co-wrote songs with Lowell George for both George's first solo project Thanks, I'll Eat It Here, and Little Feat's album Down on the Farm. It was during work on the latter that the group's break-up was announced. Lowell George died shortly afterwards.
In 1983, he performed on the Antilles Records release Swingrass '83.

Joining Little Feat

In 1988 Little Feat reformed despite the absence of their former front man, and prolific singer, songwriter, and slide guitarist, Lowell George. The regrouped Little Feat included former members Paul Barrere, Richie Hayward, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, and Sam Clayton, with the addition of Tackett and Craig Fuller. Fuller left in 1993, to be replaced by female vocalist Shaun Murphy who remained with the group until 2009 when they pared back down to a six-piece. Tackett has remained with Little Feat since the day he joined, and has become an integral member of the band.
Fred Tackett has played a pivotal role in Little Feat's music. In addition to his guitar work, he plays trumpet and mandolin and has co-written several of their songs,. Between 1991 and 2003, he forged an active and regular writing partnership with Paul Barrere which has produced such songs as "Marginal Creatures" and "Night On The Town". The 2003 album Kickin' It at the Barn featured Tackett's debut as a lead vocalist on his own song "In a Town Like This" which was also the title track from his debut solo album released that year on Feat's Hot Tomato label. A second effort, Silver Strings followed in 2010.

Paul and Fred

Tackett's writing partnership with Barrere developed into a separate act where the two performed as a duo. This produced two live albums and a DVD. They also spent time between gigs when touring to perform in local radio stations, playing songs that did not require a lot of changing of instruments, to travel as lightly as possible. Sadly this was brought to an end by Barrere's death from cancer in 2019.

Discography

As Little Feat session musician

  • Dixie Chicken 1973
  • Time Loves a Hero 1977
  • Down on the Farm 1979

    As Little Feat group member

  • Let It Roll 1988
  • Representing the Mambo 1990
  • Shake Me Up 1991
  • Ain't Had Enough Fun 1995
  • Under the Radar 1998
  • Chinese Work Songs 2000
  • Kickin' It at the Barn 2003
  • Rooster Rag 2012

    Little Feat Live albums

  • Live From Neon Park 1996
  • Live at the Rams Head 2002
  • Down Upon the Suwannee River 2003
  • Highwire Act Live in St. Louis 2003 2004
  • Barnstormin' Live 2005
  • Rocky Mountain Jam 2007

    Little Feat Live compilations

  • Ripe Tomatos Volume One 2002
  • Raw Tomatos Volume One 2002

    Paul and Fred

  • Live from North Cafe 2001
  • Sights and Sounds DVD 2005
  • Live in the UK 2008 2009

    Solo

  • In a Town Like This 2003
  • Silver Strings 2010

    Collaborations

With Peter Allen
With Deborah Allen
  • Cheat the Night
With Paul Anka
  • The Music Man
  • Headlines
With Joan Baez
  • Recently
With Russ Ballard
  • At the Third Stroke
With Carole Bayer Sager
With Clint Black
  • Looking for Christmas
  • Nothin' but the Taillights
  • Christmas with You
With Alfie Boe
  • Trust
With Debby Boone
  • Surrender
With Elkie Brooks
  • Live and Learn
With Jackson Browne
  • The Pretender
With Glen Campbell
  • Rhinestone Cowboy
  • Bloodline
  • Southern Nights
  • Basic
  • Highwayman
  • It's the World Gone Crazy
With Eric Carmen
  • Change of Heart
  • Tonight You're Mine
With The Carpenters
  • Made in America
  • Voice of the Heart
With Valerie Carter
With Cher
  • Stars
With Cher and Gregg Allman
  • Two the Hard Way
With Rita Coolidge
  • It's Only Love
  • Satisfied
  • Heartbreak Radio
  • Dancing with an Angel
With Judy Collins
  • Hard Times for Lovers
With A. J. Croce
  • A. J. Croce
With Patti Dahlstrom
  • Your Place or Mine
With Joe Dassin
  • Blue Country
With Neil Diamond
  • Heartlight
With The 5th Dimension
  • Portrait
  • Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes
  • Individually & Collectively
  • Living Together, Growing Together
  • Earthbound
With Bob Dylan
With Fleetwood Mac
  • Time
With Ted Gärdestad
  • Blue Virgin Isles
With Lowell George
  • Thanks, I'll Eat It Here
With Vince Gill
With Arlo Guthrie
  • Power of Love
With Danniebelle Hall
  • This Moment
  • He Is King
  • Let Me Have a Dream
With Steve Harley
  • Hobo with a Grin
With Richard Harris
  • The Yard Went On Forever
With Marcia Hines
  • Ooh Child
With Thelma Houston
  • Sunshower
  • Breakwater Cat
With Janis Ian
  • Restless Eyes
With Rickie Lee Jones
  • Rickie Lee Jones
With Christine Lakeland
  • Veranda
With Nicolette Larson
With Lori Lieberman
With Kenny Loggins
  • Keep the Fire
  • The Unimaginable Life
With Mary MacGregor
  • ...In Your Eyes
With Barry Manilow
With Jeane Manson
  • Stand by Me
With Clair Marlo
  • Let it Go
With Johnny Mathis
  • Once in a While
With Michael McDonald
  • Blink of an Eye
With
  • '
With Bette Midler
  • Broken Blossom
With Adam Mitchell
  • Redhead in Trouble
With Tim Moore
  • White Shadows
With Anne Murray
  • The Hottest Night of the Year
With Michael Martin Murphey
  • Michael Martin Murphey
With Willie Nelson
  • Across the Borderline
With Aaron Neville
  • The Grand Tour
With Juice Newton
  • Well Kept Secret
  • Take Heart
  • Juice
  • Quiet Lies
  • Dirty Looks
  • Can't Wait All Night
  • Old Flame
With Harry Nilsson
With The Oak Ridge Boys
  • American Dreams
With Van Dyke Parks
  • Jump!
With Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson
  • Orange Crate Art
With Dolly Parton
  • Heartbreak Express
With Michel Polnareff
  • Michel Polnareff
With Eddie Rabbitt
  • Rabbitt Trax
With Bonnie Raitt
  • Home Plate
  • Sweet Forgiveness
With Collin Raye
  • All I Can Be
With Helen Reddy
  • Music, Music
With Johnny Rivers
  • Outside Help
With Lionel Richie
  • Lionel Richie
  • Can't Slow Down
With Bruce Roberts
  • Bruce Roberts
With Kenny Rogers
With Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
  • Once Upon a Christmas
With Linda Ronstadt
  • We Ran
With Brenda Russell
  • Brenda Russell
With Sanne Salomonsen
  • Language of the Heart
With Sanford & Townsend
  • Duo-Glide
With Leo Sayer
  • Thunder in My Heart
  • Leo Sayer
  • Here
With Boz Scaggs
  • Silk Degrees
  • Some Change
  • Fade into Light
  • Come on Home
With Bob Seger
  • Like a Rock
  • The Fire Inside
  • It's a Mystery
With Carly Simon
  • Another Passenger
With Tom Snow
  • Tom Snow
With JD Souther
  • You're Only Lonely
With Ringo Starr
With Rod Stewart
  • Atlantic Crossing
  • A Night on the Town
  • Foot Loose & Fancy Free
  • Blondes Have More Fun
With Barbra Streisand
  • Wet
With The Supremes
  • The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb
With Livingston Taylor
  • Three Way Mirror
With Captain & Tennille
  • Make Your Move
With Richard Thompson
  • Amnesia
With Tanya Tucker
  • Should I Do It
With Valdy
  • See How the Years Have Gone By
With Tom Waits
  • Swordfishtrombones
With The Wallflowers
  • Bringing Down the Horse
With Jennifer Warnes
  • Famous Blue Raincoat
With Jimmy Webb
  • Words and Music
  • And So: On
  • Letters
  • Land's End
  • El Mirage
  • Angel Heart
With Lauren Wood
  • Lauren Wood
With Jesse Colin Young'
  • The Perfect Stranger''