Legendary Fayetteville musician Windy Austin dies

Fayetteville lost one of its musical heroes over the weekend.

Legendary performer, musician, and singer for some of the most beloved bands in Fayetteville history, Windy Austin passed away at an area hospital on Saturday.

Austin is well known for his work with Fayetteville bands Rodeo, Zorro & The Blue Footballs, and later, the Hot House Tomato Boys.

Over his musical career, spanning more than 45 years, Austin shared the stage with the likes of Robert Plant, Frank Zappa, Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton, and former president Bill Clinton, among many others.

At 4 p.m. Sunday, August 15, there will be a memorial service for Austin at George’s Majestic Lounge. Austin, like many career musicians, did not have health insurance, and the event at George’s is also a benefit to help his family cover medical expenses.

The memorial service is open to friends, family, musicians and fans. More information can be found on Facebook.

“It’s going to be a party and jam. Windy would have wanted it that way,” reads the Facebook event.

Admittedly, I wasn’t around for the days of Zorro & The Blue Footballs, and the old Swinging Door on Dickson, but I’ve seen a few of the videos, and I’ve heard a few of the stories.

Feel free to share your stories about Windy in the comments.