Richie Hayward, the founding drummer of Little Feat, was recently diagnosed with liver cancer, forcing him to temporarily leave the band. Gabe Ford, Little Feat's drum tech, is stepping in for Hayward as the band is currently on tour.

"My intent is to come back to the band, as soon as I am physically able," Hayward, 63, said in a statement on the band's official Website. "Your love and support will mean a lot to me, more than I can say. I love and will miss you all, and I will see you again on the proud highway."

Paul Barrere, Little Feat's longtime guitarist, says the news of Hayward's condition as "devastating." "We were on the road," he tells Spinner. "I guess it was June when we came back and [Richie] was retaining all this water. He didn't know what was going on. It was basically his liver starting to shut down. They did the blood test and CAT scan and found three cancerous spots on his liver."

Hayward, who is living in Canada and has no health insurance, will be undergoing treatment next week, according to Barrere. Earlier this month, a benefit concert organized by musicians Bruce Barber and Les Butts was held at the Canyon Club in Los Angeles. The show, which featured such acts as Jackson Browne and Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, raised money for Hayward's medical expenses.

Little Feat are working on mounting their own benefit concert for Hayward sometime in the future that could involve the participation of other major artists. "We're trying at this point to see if we can put together a big event to help supplement some of his healthcare costs," says Barrere.

An original 40-year member of Little Feat, Hayward has also worked with other musicians such as Robert Plant and Joan Armatrading. "He has a very distinctive style of drumming," says Barrere of his bandmate, "which is why so many drummers respect the heck out of him. He's one of a kind."

Barrere says that the last time he spoke with Hayward was a few days ago. "[Richie's] hanging in there," he says. "He's trying to be as positive as possible. He's sad that he can't be on the road. One of us calls him at least once a day just to keep his spirits up."

Although he is not currently with Little Feat, Hayward is still present in spirit when the band performs on stage. "Every night when we do 'Willin'' and 'Don't Bogart That Joint,' says Barrere, "we dedicate that to Richie. People sing along to some of the love and vibe."

For more information about the Benefit for Richie Hayward, visit www.richiehaywardbenefit.com or Sweet Relief.