Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard

Howard performing with Alabama Shakes on January 25, 2012
Background information
Also known as Alabama Shakes
Born (1988-10-02) October 2, 1988[1]
Athens, Alabama, United States[2]
Genres Americana, blues rock, garage rock, roots rock, soul
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Associated acts Alabama Shakes, Thunderbitch[3]

Brittany Howard (born October 2, 1988)[1][4] is an American musician, best known as lead vocalist and guitarist of American rock bands Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch.[5]

Early life

Howard was born in Athens, Alabama to a white mother and an African American father.[6] She began playing the guitar at age 13,[7] and later attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell.[7] She worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes.[8]

Career

Brittany Howard is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the American rock band Alabama Shakes. The band formed under the name "The Shakes" when Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell began playing covers and original songs together with drummer Steve Johnson. Guitarist Heath Fogg later rounded out the lineup, and the band began playing shows at bars in Alabama and recording their debut album, Boys & Girls. They went on to sign a record deal with ATO Records, and released Boys & Girls in 2012 to critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations.[8]

In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200,[9] and received favorable reviews from the music press.[10] The band went on to perform on multiple late night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Howard was featured in the musical medley alongside Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, Ben Folds, and more in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[11] At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of "Get Back" with Paul McCartney.[12] Howard also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy's Mark Twain Prize.[13] In 2015, Howard was named the recipient of Billboard's Women in Music "Powerhouse" Award.[14]

Howard is also the lead singer of the rock band Thunderbitch, formed in Nashville in 2012 with members of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO Records labelmates Fly Golden Eagle. The band surprise-released a self-titled album in September 2015.[15] The band rarely makes live appearances, but played a rare set at ATO Records' CMJ Music Marathon showcase in October 2015.[16]

Discography

With Alabama Shakes

With Thunderbitch

Featured Appearances

References

  1. 1 2 "Celebrity birthdays Oct. 2". Associated Press. October 1, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  2. ↑ Hermes, Will (February 28, 2013). "Alabama Shakes' Unlikely Triumph | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  3. ↑ Montgomery, James (December 18, 2012). "Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard Robbed at Gunpoint – MTV". MTV. Viacom International. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alabama-Shakes#ref1229337
  5. ↑ Pareles, Jon (September 3, 2015). "Review: 'Thunderbitch' Features Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ Cane, Clay (June 25, 2013). "Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes: "I Don't Think About Color" | News | BET". BET. Viacom International. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Brittany Howard - Biography - Singer - Biography.com". Biography. A&E. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Alabama Shakes's Soul-Stirring, Shape-Shifting New Sound". The New York Times. March 22, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Alabama Shakes Scores Its First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Reviews for Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Watch The Surprise All-Star Musical Finale Of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Premiere". Stereogum. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Paul McCartney Performs "Get Back" With Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, "FourFiveSeconds" at Lollapalooza". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ The Associated Press (October 5, 2015). "Tracy Morgan Joins Lineup for Eddie Murphy Mark Twain Prize Ceremony". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Named Billboard's 2015 Women in Music 'Powerhouse' Artist". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Releases New LP as Thunderbitch". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Brittany Howard's Thunderbitch played ATO's CMJ showcase w/ Margaret Glaspy, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Joseph (pics)". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
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