SEPTEMBER 30, 1977 – At NYC’s Palladium, Foghat played a benefit to help the New York Public Library buy a collection of rare blues records for its Rodgers & Hammerstein Archives. The records were also to be cross-referenced at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.
Lead singer and guitarist “Lonesome” Dave Peverett (April 16, 1943 – February 7, 2000) explained that, “all of us in the group were influenced by and grew up with black music. It’s some of the greatest and most beloved music in modern history. The entire rock scene owes an enormous debt to the blues.” In fact, two songs from “Foghat Live” were written by black writers; Willie Dixon’s “I Just Want To Make Love To You” and “Honey Hush” by Lou Turner, originally recorded by Big Joe Turner.
The Bearsville recording act staged the concert both “to draw attention to the blues greats who are still with us, and to enable the Library to start moving towards having the best collection of rare blues records in the world so that future generations will be able to hear them.”
