“He had me play a couple of odd muted things and groove for a while, and then he said ‘OK, you're it’”: Esteemed bassist Tom Fowler, best known for his work with Frank Zappa, has died aged 73

Ex-Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention bassist Tom Fowler passed away on July 2 at the age of 73, following medical complications from an aneurysm. Fellow Zappa alum Arthur Barrow shared the news via social media.

“So sad to report another big loss in the Zappa community,” wrote Barrow on Facebook. “Tom Fowler left us yesterday, July 2, 2024. He was a hero to me. The first time I heard Echidna's I almost fell over when he played the big 5/16 lick on the bass!

“I had no idea that a clumsy bass could do such a thing! He was an inspiration for me to buy a bass and start practicing. I have known him since about 1976. RIP old friend – missing you very much.”

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Born in Salt Lake City, Fowler started his music journey at an early age, taking up the violin at age six, followed by the upright bass, and finally, the electric bass at 16, after hearing the works of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa.

In 1971, he joined the psych-rock band It's a Beautiful Day for their third album Choice Quality Stuff/Anytime (1971), and the live album It's a Beautiful Day at Carnegie Hall (1972). After departing the band in 1972, he spent a year at the University of Utah, moved to New York to play jazz, and later moved to San Francisco, where he picked up the violin again.

It was in San Francisco that Fowler got the opportunity to join Zappa's band. “[Jack] Bruce called me up and I auditioned for Frank and somehow, I got the gig. I hadn't even been playing bass, but I guess he got sick of looking for a bass player. This was in 1973,” Fowler said in an interview with T'Mershi Duween.

“The audition was very simple. He had me play a couple of odd muted things and groove for a while, and then he said ‘OK, you're it.’ That was a really good band. I then just did Frank's stuff for a few years until I broke my hand in the middle of a tour which was my downfall.

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“One thing that people don't realize about the bands is that Frank didn't write everything by any means, but he remembered everything. When we were having those long rehearsals, we were all jiving around and having fun; not at first, but as we got looser. The 1974 band was really loose – we could [play] anything we goddamn wanted.”

He made his recording debut with Zappa on Over-Nite Sensation (1973), playing on more Zappa albums up to Studio Tan (1978). 

In addition to Zappa, Fowler played bass for several other acts, including Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Hackett, and George Duke. He also founded the jazz fusion band Air Pocket with his brothers and pursued his own solo work, as well as performing with Ray Charles, playing most of the bass in the 2004 biopic Ray.

In the T'Mershi Duween interview, Fowler shared his nuggets of wisdom on what makes a concert work. “A live situation has to have lots of peaks and valleys and it's a good show, then you can have slow stuff.”

As to his dream concert lineup: “Frank Zappa and Ray Charles in concert together for the first time, with special guest appearances from Jean-Luc Ponty and It's a Beautiful Day. And there's my life in a one concert nutshell. Fowler Brothers as the opening act. Then we all go to my restaurant and eat something.”