Paul Barrere , a guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his long tenure with the rock band Little Feat, formed in 1969 and known for its distinctive blend of musical influences, died on Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 71 .

The band announced his death, at U.C.L.A. Medical Center, on its website. No cause was given, but Mr. Barrere had learned a few years ago that he had liver cancer.

Little Feat never reached the upper echelons of rock stardom and never had a hit single. But it became a staple on album-oriented FM rock radio with infectious songs like “Dixie Chicken” and “Sailin’ Shoes,” and it attracted both critical acclaim and a fiercely loyal following.

The band’s sound was distinctive, if hard to categorize — it mixed, Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in 1991, “New Orleans rhythm and blues, country, hard rock, and touches of funk and jazz.”