Richie Hayward
The groove architect whose syncopated, funky drumming defined the sound of Little Feat and inspired generations of musicians.
1946–2010 (age 64)·American musician·Birthday: February 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Richie Hayward wasn't just a drummer; he was the rhythmic engine of one of America's most inventive bands. Co-founding Little Feat with Lowell George in 1969, Hayward brought a unique, polyrhythmic sensibility that blended New Orleans second-line shuffle, rock drive, and jazz inflection into something entirely its own. His playing was both powerfully loose and intricately precise, creating pockets so deep they seemed to swallow the beat whole. On classics like 'Dixie Chicken' and 'Fat Man in the Bathtub,' his drums didn't just keep time—they conversed, commented, and propelled the song's narrative. Even as the band's lineup and fortunes shifted, Hayward's groove remained its unwavering constant. Beyond Little Feat, he was a sought-after session player, lending his instantly recognizable feel to artists like Robert Plant, Joan Armatrading, and Tom Waits. His influence is heard in the work of countless drummers who prize feel over flash.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Richie was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Richie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2010Died at 64
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential American rock band Little Feat and was their drummer from 1969 until his death.
- Played on and co-wrote many of Little Feat's signature songs, including 'Dixie Chicken' and 'Time Loves a Hero.'
- Was a highly in-demand session drummer, recording with artists like Robert Plant, Bob Seger, and Eric Clapton.
- His drumming with Little Feat is consistently cited as a masterclass in groove and feel by musicians and critics.
Did You Know?
He was largely self-taught and developed his distinctive style by playing along to jazz and R&B records.
Hayward made a cameo appearance on an episode of the 1960s TV comedy 'F Troop.'
He was known for using a very minimal drum kit, often just bass drum, snare, one tom, and two cymbals.
For many years, he lived on a houseboat in Sausalito, California.
“The groove is a living thing; you don't play it, you ride it.”
