Died On This Date (April 6, 1981) Bob “The Bear” Hite / Canned Heat
themusicsover Bob Hite
February 26, 1943 – April 6, 1981
Just the fact that he worked in a record store as a teen is enough for Bob Hite to get honored here, but he was also the lead singer of blues rock band, Canned Heat. In the early ’60’s, “The Bear” and fellow record junkie Alan Wilson got together and formed a band to play an electrified boogie version of the great blues albums they had collected. Canned Heat endeared themselves to both the psychedelic rock fans and the blues crowd by not only kicking ass at Woodstock AND Monterey, but by producing and recording with John Lee Hooker. The result was Hooker ‘n’ Heat. Although he was an intimidating hulk of a man, Hite couldn’t be nicer to his friends, fans and strangers. He had absolutely no problem with fans coming up to him on the street and sometimes even made the first move toward them to say hello. And that good-heartedness carried on to the stage as well, making Canned Heat concerts some of the most fun during the ’60s and ’70s. Hite suffered a fatal heart attack just before a show on April 6, 1981.
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