David Lee Howard

A Few Words from the Past and Present
I see my music as having no boundaries, no specific genre and demographic orientation. My Guitar playing honors no restrictions and constraints, no pulled punches, crossing into fields known and unknown.
My goal is to free my soul by ever expanding my musical horizons and inducing wave upon wave of liberating improvisation as well as connecting to my past influences. In short, unapologetic and seeking the honesty in myself to never stray from this quest.
I have been a professional/working musician since age 14 and am now well into my 50’s and find myself striving harder than ever. Touring the globe 6 months out of the year, recording @ every opportunity, gigging locally when home, hosting seminars on the “Secrets of the 12 String Guitar” and “Career Options for Musicians”, performing showcases for Hofner Guitars and Shadow Pickup Systems, Jamming endlessly, taking Guitar lessons and expanding into new instruments and music from all over the world kinda keeps me busy and fed.
I may have started out in the 60’s as a Beat musician, garage band apostil, traversing through Soul Groups and Texas Blues Tributes but by the early 70’s I was deep into Progressive Rock with Classical influences. Leaving Europe for the West Coast was the eye opener I needed to continue this Musical Journey into Country Classics, Show Tunes and Lounge cocktail stuff, when I discovered Bluegrass and Acoustic Based Americana.
Landing in Canada, I chose the 12 String Dreadnaught Guitar as my main Axe and proceeded to explore as many styles as possible being endlessly fascinated by how few limitations this instrument held for me. Needing a fret job within 3 months was my first clue that I had found my Muse and playing it in a most untraditional manner. Learning new material, doing scales and practicing every lick I’d ever heard gave me a ground up musical education and I slipped quietly out of apprenticeship and established myself as a Journeyman. I celebrated by doing a One Man Band Elvis Show.
Enter the 80’s...playing locally in Seattle and the Northwest, raising a Family, writing new Music...all done in relative comfort and in the Idyllic Setting of the Foothills of the Cascade Mountains. This led to several Wax releases including the now mystically Legendary “Marie Antoinette”, which can still be found in record cutout bins in finer Goodwill Stores all over the West Coast.
Europe began to call me back on a regular basis and I started playing in Pubs, then Halls and Town Squares till I found my way into the Festival Tour and Concert Series. Lots of Open Air stuff and great audiences. By the time the 90’s rolled around I had become known as the “String Surfer”, releasing new age, avant guard, Mediterranean style instrumental CD’s for local labels and really taking the 12 String into a realm I think no one has ever reached or even endeavored to. I was at the top of my game and playing almost anything I could think of, ever expanding and striving for more new notes and wild progressions...
And then it hit me, the Death of my Son Thomas stopped me in my tracks and I had no where to go but inside myself. Every morning’s realization of our loss closed the world outside and forced me to confront my own fate and future as never before. I was very fortunate for in playing music and singing I was able to achieve some release and respite from this constant pain and soon began on a new quest.
Lyrics suddenly became the new drive in my creativity and I drove myself into the printed word as I had previously delved into the 12 String Guitars. I wrote lyrics, journals, film scripts, travel logs and a personal diary to exorcise my demons. Soon I had written and recorded a somewhat alternative country Trilogy and formed the Dave Lee Howard Band in Germany to perform these songs resulting in Live Sessions and, hopefully reaching the Apex of my search for the truth and the Grail of my Songwriting skills culminating in “Last Picture Show”.
Heavily supported by independent Radio and a great European Fan Base I finally found myself with a career. Three years ago I joined Hofner Guitars as an endorsee, playing Demos all over Europe and California. Showcasing the amazing sound of their 12 Strings at the NAMM Show in LA and Frankfurt International Music Fair.
Shadow Guitar Pickup Systems invited me to endorse their great sounding pickups in 2008 and I am glad I am part of their great company. Frankly, I am looking to Adamas and D’Addario because I go through a fortune in Strings every year!
Now I a find myself full circle and I am releasing an Instrumental Extravaganza to implode upon the senses and establish me as a Trend setting, cutting edge Guitar Guru. Maybe that is what I need to be...a Pioneer... I know of no one else who plays the Guitar as I do and am extremely happy with this special Niche I find myself in...thanks in part to You!