It is the kind of news every rock fan dreads. A band that has been the soundtrack for decades, a beloved group of virtuosos who defined their own genre, has officially announced the beginning of the end.
On Wednesday, legendary ‘70s band Little Feat announced a multi-year farewell tour. The tour, cheekily titled “The Last Farewell Tour” in a nod to their 1975 album The Last Record Album, will kick off in April 2026 and travel around the world for at least two years.
“My hope is ‘The Last Farewell Tour’ resembles a long passionate kiss, a prolonged warm hug,,” keyboardist and co-founder Bill Payne, 76, wrote in an announcement from the band’s official Instagram account. “This is a celebration that acknowledges gratitude to all for an unforgettable journey, mingled with joy, sadness, but no regrets.”
View this post on Instagram
Fans immediately flooded the band’s social media with emotional, supportive, and nostalgic messages.
“Ack! I was hoping this would never come. But it’s understandable,” wrote one fan.
“Bittersweet. We will be there,” another added.
A third fan commented, “Thank you for years of wonderful music ❤️ Can’t wait to see some shows on this last tour.”
For a band that has been on the road for over 55 years, the decision was a complex one, driven by a desire to celebrate their legacy on their own terms. According to Payne, the idea of retiring did not sit well at first.
“Everybody and their brother is retiring now,” Payne told Rolling Stone in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. “But I’ll be honest, I resisted it at first. I’ll be 77 in March, and [guitarist] Fred Tackett is 80 and [bassist] Kenny [Gradney] will be 76 next year. But what’s the rush on farewelling this thing?”
The decision comes as many of their peers, including the Eagles, Kiss, and Elton John, have also launched long goodbye tours.
Co-manager of the band Brian Penix of Vector Management told Rolling Stone that the decision came as “we all want to celebrate the legacy of Little Feat one more time across the globe. And in the right way, while we still can.”
Payne went on to explain that the tour’s structure is what brought him on board. It is not a sudden end but rather a gradual “wind-down.” “It’s not an immediate cutoff,” he clarified. “If it were, I would have said, ‘No, absolutely not.'”
The band’s official statement echoed this feeling of a long, loving goodbye. “We still have a lot to say and share,” Payne wrote on Instagram. “All endings suggest new beginnings.”
Formed in 1969, Little Feat carved out a unique space in rock history. After co-founder Lowell George passed from a heart attack in 1979 at 34 years old, the band eventually reformed and has continued to tour and record with a shifting lineup of core members and new blood. The current lineup includes Payne, Gradney, Sam Clayton, Fred Tackett, Scott Sharrard, and Tony Leone.
Payne told Rolling Stone that the band’s iconic sound is as strong as ever, a testament to its members old and new. “It’s about the chemistry and how it sounds when people play together, and that sound is what makes this band still that band,” he said.
The band recently released a new album, Strike Up the Band, and earned a Grammy nomination for their 2024 album Sam’s Place.
The Last Farewell Tour is set to be a multi-year, global celebration. The first leg kicks off in April 2026, starting with two cruise performances in January before the main leg begins, Blues Rock Review reports. The initial dates announced include stops in Orlando, FL, Austin, TX, Kansas City, MO, and St. Charles, IL, among many others.
To bring their story full circle, the band is also releasing a new track, “Feathers and a Smile.” The song was written by Lowell George around 1970 but was never released, according to Rolling Stone. The new recording features Payne on vocals and a harmony from George’s daughter, singer Inara George, 51.
