Adolfo de la Parra explained

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]}

Early life and career

Parra 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] Parra's first performance with Canned Heat was on December 1, 1967. 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. He produced and appeared in the 2007 film Rock 'n Roll Made in Mexico: From Evolution to Revolution^[13] and authored the 2010 book Living the Blues.^[14]

Publications

• Book: De La Parra, Fito. 2010. Living the Blues: Canned Heat's Story of Music, Drugs, Death, Sex and Survival. Canned Heat Music. 412. 9780967644905.

See also

List of performances and events at Woodstock Festival

External links

• Canned Heat site

Notes and References

1. Web site: 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. . 2024-03-05 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
2. Web site: Bell . Max . 2018-10-19 . Canned Heat: the badass blues band that death couldn't kill . 2024-03-05 . louder . en.
3. Web site: Canned Heat's drummer relates how police set band up with drugs . 2024-03-02 . Putnampit.com.
4. Web site: 2011-10-06 . "Made in Mexico, from Evolution to Revolution" Press Release Happy Trailers HD . https://web.archive.org/web/20111006190421/http://www.happytrailershd.com/main/node/508 . 2011-10-06 . 2024-03-02.
5. Web site: Strumming for Vets, Guitars, Veteran, Music, Fender, Gibson, Military, Bay Area. . 2024-03-02 . strummingforvets.org.
6. Web site: 2010-11-20 . Canned Heat Official WebSite - Biography . https://web.archive.org/web/20101120115221/http://cannedheatmusic.com/biography.html . 2010-11-20 . 2024-03-02.
7. News: Savage . Jon . 2009-08-19 . Jon Savage on song: Canned Heat's Woodstock anthem . 2024-03-05 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
8. Web site: 2022-09-15 . Canned Heat brings blues-rock legacy from Woodstock to Rams Head in Annapolis . 2024-03-05 . Wtop.com . en.
9. Web site: Savio . Jason . 'Born to play': Original drummer brings Canned Heat's blues to the Cape . 2024-03-05 . Cape Cod Times . en-US.
10. Web site: Iwasaki . Scott . 2019-01-09 . Canned Heat lights up three nights in Park City . 2024-03-05 . Parkrecord.com . en-US.
11. Kaufman . Gil . 2019-08-20 . Canned Heat Bassist Larry Taylor Dies at 77 . 2024-03-05 . Billboard . en-US.
12. Web site: Scott . TONE . 2023-04-03 . My 5 most influential albums: Fito de la Parra of Canned Heat . 2024-03-05 . Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia . en.
13. Web site: Rock 'n Roll Made in Mexico: From Evolution to Revolution (2007) . 2024-03-05 . Mubi.com . en.
14. Web site: Living the Blues . 2024-03-02 . Goodreads.com . en.