.

Doobie Brothers Recruit Little Feat's Bill Payne Ahead Of Journey Tour

12/02/2015
.
The Doobie Brothers have announced that they have recruited Little Feat's Bill Payne to join them as their touring keyboard player as they prepare for next year's San Francisco Fest 2016 tour with Journey.

Payne has previously worked with the band both in the studio and on the road and he also appeared on a number of albums from artists ranging from Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris to Pink Floyd and Bob Seger.

Bill Payne had this to say about joining the group on the road, "Having played on many of their albums, and spent time on the road with them over the years, it is an absolute honor to be in the band. They have some truly great songs, the musicianship is the best, and they are good people. I'm very happy about this union."

Various members of The Doobie Brothers also commented beginning with Tom Johnston: "I have been a fan of Billy's playing since his days with Little Feat. We've had the good fortune of having him play on almost all the albums we've done in this version of the band, and that's quite a few. He's a phenomenal, one-of-a- kind keyboard player, and having him join the band is a huge plus both for the live show and for writing future studio projects."

Patrick Simmons: "It's such a pleasure to have Bill playing with us every night. Little Feat and The Doobies started out together at Warner Bros., with Ted Templeman producing both bands. There has been an incredibly close friendship, and so many musical collaborations through the years. The fit is just right. Bill takes us to a noticeably higher level that is inspiring to all of us, and our fans."

John McFee: "I've always been a fan of Billy's. As an outsider, I admired his work with Little Feat and also his incredible contributions to The Doobie Brothers' music - I mean, China Grove would probably have a different title if it weren't for Billy's piano lick in the bridge. I've also been lucky enough to work with Billy on a number of recording projects - besides some of the Doobie's recordings, with people like Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Amy Holland, Eikichi Yazawa and others. There just isn't a finer player on the planet. A good guy, too! We're very fortunate to have him aboard."
ON TOUR

The Doobie Brothers and Journey North American "San Francisco Fest 2016" tour will be kicking off on May 12, 2016 in Irvine, CA and will conclude on August 30, 2016 in Chula Vista, CA. The trek will feature support from Dave Mason.

San Francisco Fest 2016 Dates:
05/12 - Irvine, CA - Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
05/14 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion
05/15 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
05/18 - Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater
05/20 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
05/21 - Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
05/23 - Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena
05/25 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
05/27 - Indianapolis, IN+ - Indianapolis Motor Speedway
05/28 - Kansas City, KS - Sprint Center
05/31 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
06/02 - Birmingham, AL - Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
06/04 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
06/05 - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
06/08 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
06/10 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp.
06/11 - W. Palm Beach, FL - Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
06/22 - Bangor, ME - Darling's Waterfront Pavilion
06/24 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
06/25 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Banks Art Center
06/27 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
06/29 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
07/01 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
07/02 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
07/05 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/07 - Toronto - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
07/09 - Darien, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
07/10 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
07/13 - Syracuse, NY - Lakeview Amphitheater
07/15 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
07/16 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
07/27 - Nashville, TN++ - Ascend Amphitheater
07/29 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
07/30 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/02 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
08/04 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/06 - Omaha, NE - CenturyLink Center
08/07 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
08/09 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
08/11 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
08/13 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/16 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena
08/17 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
08/20 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
08/21 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
08/23 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
08/25 - Ridgefield, WA - Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
08/27 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center
08/28 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
08/30 - Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre

+Journey with Neal "Vortex" Schon only on this date.
++Journey and Dave Mason only on this date.

Doobie Brothers Music, DVDs, Books and more

Doobie Brothers T-shirts and Posters

More Doobie Brothers News

Share this article

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it Share on Reddit email this article


Related Stories
The Doobie Brothers Tap Steve Winwood and Robert Cray For The 2024 Tour

Michael McDonald Announces 'What A Fool Believes: A Memoir'

Doobie Brothers In The Studio For 'Minute By Minute' Anniversary

The Doobie Brothers' Tom Johnston Leaving Tour To Have Surgery

The Doobie Brothers Add Canadian Dates To 50th Anniversary Tour