Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra (born 8 February 1946) is a Mexican musician, best known as the drummer for the American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

rock band

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...

2018 Canned Heat - Fito de la Parra - by 2eight - DSC5600

Early life and career

Parra was born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

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. In 1967, while playing with Bluesberry Jam, Parra was discovered by the members of

. 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." Parra's first performance with Canned Heat was on December 1, 1967. He later performed with the band at

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

in 1969. 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. In addition to his work with Canned Heat, Parra has performed with blues artists such as

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including "Searchin'", "Young Blood (The Coasters song), Young Blood", "Charlie Brown (The Coasters song), Charlie Bro ...

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''R ...

, Ben E. King,

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with the Supremes, the Miracles, the Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

, and

The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

. He produced and appeared in the 2007 film ''Rock 'n Roll Made in Mexico: From Evolution to Revolution'' and authored the 2010 book ''Living the Blues''.

Publications

References

External links

Canned Heat site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parra, Adolfo de la 1946 births Living people Canned Heat members Mexican rock musicians Mexican drummers Liberty Records artists

Early life and career

Publications

See also

References

External links