Hit country blues-rock band of the ’60s, Canned Heat, reveals how Australia kept the band alive during one of it’s biggest turning points.

Canned Heat has 38 albums under their belt and headlined at the original Woodstock Festival.

Drummer Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra is the band’s longest-standing member and has seen many others come and go.

He tells Chris Smith when lead singer Bob Hite died in 1981 they thought the band was over.

But he says an Australian tour is what kept them going.

“Of course when we started losing our most important members… I had my reservations about continuing the band, but actually, thanks to Australia, I made a decision to continue.

“We tried to cancel the tour… but [promoter] Peter said ‘the Australian people will back you’.

“I made a decision to come to Australia with a wounded band.”

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For more information on Canned Heat’s Australian tour in May click HERE.