On Monday, a San Francisco guitarist died in relative obscurity one day shy of his 63rd birthday. The man could play the hell out of a Telecaster, and his name was Robbie Hoddinott. His name may not ring a bell, but in his prime, Robbie was a musical force to be reckoned with. He founded a band called Kingfish and he should have received more recognition during his lifetime.
Considered by some to be "Bob Weir's backup band," Kingfish was never exactly that. Granted, Weir was an active member of Kingfish for the same two years that Hoddinott played in the band, and that affiliation did much to boost the band's recording regimen. Add to this the fact that Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Keith and Donna Godchaux performed or recorded with various incarnations of Kingfish, and one can clearly see how the threads of the Dead and Kingfish became woven together.
The eponymous Kingfish debut album was released on the Grateful Dead-associated Round Records label in 1976. Since that time, 17 additional versions of Kingfish have been released.
Pulled together in 1973 by Bay Area harmonica player Matthew Kelly, the original Kingfish lineup comprised Robbie Hoddinott on lead guitar, Kelly on harp and rhythm guitar, and Mick Ward on piano. Drummer Chris Herold and erstwhile New Riders of the Purple Sage bassist Dave Torbert made up the rhythm section. The same year the band was formed, Mick Ward was killed in an traffic accident and replaced by Barry Flast.
Matthew Kelly told Vermont Review how his childhood friend, Bob Weir, got involved with Kingfish.
"Bobby and I have known each other basically all of our lives. Since we the time we were seven or eight. We lived right down the street from each other. We went to the same prep school. I did not run into Bobby until years later. I was in Palo Alto in the 1960's in my old Volkswagen. On the freeway off-ramp, I picked up a hitchhiker – a gentleman by the name of Robert Hunter, who was on his way up to San Francisco to what was later to become famous Grateful Dead house at 710 Ashbury. Bobby and I reconnected then. When the Grateful Dead took a break from 1974-1975, it was very helpful for Kingfish. Bobby started sitting in with the band in 1974. He basically took the place of the keyboard player. Bobby's style of guitar playing is so perfect for that because he picks up a lot of stuff listening to pianists. His phrasing and just the way he approaches the guitar. That really worked for Kingfish."
