FAT Holiday Show at The Iron Horse on Saturday, December 27 2025

In 1968 vocalist and songwriter Peter J. Newland met guitarists Michael Benson and Jim Kaminski at Holyoke Community College and together with bassist Guy DeVito and drummer William Benjamin created a musical entity known as FAT....

 In an era when most bands were playing top 40 covers, FAT began writing original music. They were soon signed to RCA records and by 1970 had recorded and released their debut LP -FAT, produced by Hit Factory legend Ed Germano (a.k.a. Eddie Jason).

By the mid 70's Jim Kaminski had left and was replaced by Christopher Newland on guitar; William Benjamin left to join the Valley band The Elevators and was replaced on drums by William Perry from Cricket Hill.

In 1975 the group left RCA and formed the valley's first Indie label, Dream Merchant Records, and went on to record and self produce their second LP "FOOTLOOSE".  

FAT continued to tour the Northeast region and captured the attention of concert promoters/ managers Jim Koplick and Shelley Finkel (Watkins Glen Summer Jam) who signed them to a management contract. 

After working with producers Mick Ronson (David Bowie, Bob Dylan) and Murray Krugman (Blue Oyster Cult) the band recorded their final album with producer Felix Pappalardi (Cream, Mountain) at Criteria Studios in Miami and was personally signed to Atlantic Records by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler. The album was never released and went unheard until the early 90’s when DeVito digitized the 3” masters and released the CD “ FAT /PAST DUE”.

When Chris Newland, Bill Perry and Guy DeVito left in 1980 Peter Newland and Michael Benson carried on working with Peter Frizzell (Clean Living) and Barry Blinn recording the Peter J. Newland anthem “Living Like an Outlaw” on the Dream Merchant label. 

FAT was officially disbanded in 1985 but the original members re-formed in the mid-nineties to do a reunion concert and they have been performing together ever since.