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Brittany Howard

American musician (born 1988)

American musician (born 1988)

FieldValue
nameBrittany Howard
imageAlabama Shakes, Hyde Park, London (33573853938).jpg
altHoward singing passionately
captionHoward performing with Alabama Shakes in London, 2016
birth_nameBrittany Amber Howard
birth_date
birth_placeAthens, Alabama, U.S.
occupationMusician
instrument
genre
years_active–present
label
current_member_ofAlabama Shakes
past_member_of

Brittany Amber Howard (born October 2, 1988) is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes and as a solo artist have garnered her five Grammy Awards (including Best Alternative Music Album) from 18 nominations. Later in the decade, Howard played bass in the side project Thunderbitch and both acoustic guitar and double bass for the trio Bermuda Triangle.

In 2018, Alabama Shakes announced it was going on hiatus. In 2019, Howard released her debut studio album as a solo artist, Jaime. The album received critical acclaim and seven Grammy nominations, winning Best Rock Song for "Stay High". Its follow-up, What Now, was released in February 2024. In early 2025, Alabama Shakes announced a summer reunion tour scheduled for July to September.

Early life

Howard was born in Athens, Alabama, one of two daughters born to Christi (née Carter) and K. J. Howard. Her mother is white, of English and Irish ancestry while her father is African American. The family's home was in a junk yard and it once burned down from a lightning strike. She learned to write poetry and play the piano from her older sister Jaime, who died from retinoblastoma in 1998; Howard had the same affliction but survived with partial blindness in one eye. Her parents separated soon after that. She began playing the guitar at age 13; she was enamored with albums by Dionne Warwick and Elvis Presley, which she listened to repeatedly, and was inspired to write song lyrics.

Howard attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell. In high school, Howard began listening to 1970s rock music, such as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. "I’d be in the back of this Buick and be like ‘What's this? This is really cool’ and my friends told me it was Pink Floyd and I was like ‘Whoa’, it blew my mind. I started getting into all the classic rock stuff, like Yes, Cream, all that stuff."

After high school, Howard worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes.

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 signed a record deal with ATO Records and released Boys & Girls in 2012 which received critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations.

In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and received favorable reviews from the music press. The band performed 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 other artists in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of "Get Back" with Paul McCartney. She also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy's Mark Twain Prize. In 2015, she was named the recipient of Billboard's Women in Music "Powerhouse" Award.

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. Although the band rarely makes live appearances, they played a rare set at ATO Records' CMJ Music Marathon showcase in October 2015.

Brittany Howard is also a singer in the band Bermuda Triangle with Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari, which was formed in Nashville in 2017. Their debut live performance was on July 12, 2017, at the Basement East in Nashville. The trio released their first single on September 6, 2017, titled "Rosey", which was first released on Jesse Lafser's 2015 album "Raised On The Plains". This small tour included shows in Carrboro and Asheville, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and Knoxville, Tennessee.

In June 2019, Brittany Howard announced a debut solo album, Jaime which was released on September 20, 2019, as well as a tour across North America and Europe. Jaime was received with universal acclaim; Pitchfork noted, "The exceptional solo debut from the Alabama Shakes singer-songwriter is a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes." On July 16, 2019, Howard released the music video to the single Stay High, featuring actor Terry Crews lip-syncing to the track. On April 15, 2020, she released a cover of a Funkadelic's 1971 song "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks" and a new rendition of her song "Stay High". Stay High was recommended as an "appropriate musical remedy" to get people through lockdown and quarantine by KRCW. On October 13, 2023, she released the title track to her second album What Now. In the same year, Rolling Stone named Howard to its "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list.

In 2024, Howard announced a co-headlining tour with British rhythm and blues singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka.

Howard made her acting debut in the animated film Thelma the Unicorn, which debuted on Netflix May 17, 2024. Howard's personality, hair, and songs were all used as inspiration for her character in the film.

In late November 2024, Howard announced the debut of her hardcore project KUMITE. KUMITE were scheduled to play their first show in Nashville, in January 2025.

In 2024, Howard co-wrote an original track with Ludwig Göransson, Pale Pale Moon, which was prominently featured in Ryan Coogler's film Sinners. Both Howard's original demo and the movie version performed by actress Jayme Lawson are featured on the soundtrack album.

Influences

Artists Howard has cited as influences include Led Zeppelin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, David Bowie, Mavis Staples, Tom Waits, Björk, Gil Scott-Heron, Freddie Mercury, and Tina Turner.

Personal life

Howard came out as a lesbian at age 25. She married fellow musician Jesse Lafser in 2018; they divorced the following year.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/brittany-howard-interview-alabama-shakes-jaime-album-racism-sexuality-a9113771.html|work=The Independent|title=Brittany Howard: 'I didn't want to end up back in the trailer park'

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated WorkResult
2019Rober Award Music PrizeBest Female ArtistHerself
Best R&B
Album of the YearJaime
UK Music Video AwardBest Rock Video - International"Stay High"
2020Grammy AwardBest Rock Song"History Repeats"
Best Rock Performance
GLAAD Media AwardOutstanding Music ArtistJaime
Americana Music Honors & AwardsArtist of the YearHerself
Song of the Year"Stay High"
Album of the YearJaime
Libera AwardAlbum of the Year
2021Grammy AwardBest Rock Performance"Stay High"
Best Rock Song
Best Alternative Music AlbumJaime
Best R&B Performance"Goat Head"
Best American Roots Performance"Short and Sweet"
Libera AwardBest Sync Usage"You'll Never Walk Alone"
(Johnnie Walker's #KeepItMoving Campaign)
2022Best Dance Record"Stay High again.."
Best R&B RecordJaime (Reimagined)
2025Grammy AwardBest Alternative Music AlbumWhat Now
2026Best Song Written for Visual Media"Pale, Pale Moon"

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsUS
AUT
BEL
(FL)
BEL
(WA)
CAN
FRA
NL
SCO
Peaks on the Scottish Albums Chart:SPA
UK
JaimeWhat Now
1359291593418276139836
——75————45——
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Remix albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsUS
Current
Jaime (Reimagined)
71

Extended plays

TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsUS
Sales
US
Folk
Spotify SinglesLive at Sound EmporiumJaime (The Remixes)Live from East West Studios
——
5120
——
——

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbumUS
AAA
US
Adult
R&B
US
Alt.
Dig.
US
Rock
BEL
(FL)
Tip
CAN
Rock
MEX
Air
NLD
Air
NZ
Hot
"I Wonder"
(with Ruby Amanfu)"History Repeats""Stay High""He Loves Me""You'll Never Walk Alone""Stay High again.."
(with Joy Anonymous and Fred again..)"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
(Amazon Original)"Presence"
(Little Dragon Remix)"Tomorrow"
(BadBadNotGood Remix)"Checks and Balances"
(from the Netflix series We the People) (with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, and Daveed Diggs)"Stay High"
(Childish Gambino remix)"Running with the Angels"
(with Tia P.)"What Now""Red Flags""Prove It to You""Power to Undo"
2012—————————
2019——————49——Jaime
123243422—5041—
202028————————
——12——————
2021—————————Jaime (Reimagined)
—————————
—————————Jaime (Reimagined)
—————————
—————————
————————36Jaime (Reimagined)
2022—————————
20231————30———What Now
—————————
202429————————
—————————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist

TitleYearAlbum"Higher"
(Thad Cockrell featuring Brittany Howard)
2020If In Case You Feel the Same

Other charted songs

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbumUS
Sales
"It Makes No Difference"
(My Morning Jacket featuring Brittany Howard)
201211Endless Highway - The Music of the Band

Other appearances

TitleYearOther artist(s)Album"For You Alone""West on Train""Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am""I Feel Free""Darkness and Light""Higher""Shining Star""Fire Inside""Walk of Fame"
2011Matt StephensMatt Stephens
2013Turk TresizeSoul Casino
My Morning Jacket, Merrill GarbusRed Hot + Fela
2015Joy (Music from the Motion Picture)
2016John LegendDarkness and Light
2020Thad CockrellIf In Case You Feel The Same
2022Verdine WhiteMinions: Rise of Gru (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2024Thelma the Unicorn: Soundtrack From The Netflix Film
2025Miley CyrusSomething Beautiful

With Alabama Shakes

Main article: Alabama Shakes discography

  • Boys & Girls (2012)
  • Sound & Color (2015)

With Thunderbitch

  • Thunderbitch (2015)

Notes

References

References

  1. Kot, Greg. (September 20, 2019). "Review: Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes turns solo debut into a personal manifesto". [[Chicago Tribune]].
  2. Savage, Mark. (September 25, 2019). "Brittany Howard finds freedom after Alabama Shakes". [[BBC]].
  3. Montgomery, James. (December 18, 2012). "Alabama Shakes: Brittany Howard Robbed at Gunpoint". Viacom International.
  4. (October 1, 2014). "Celebrity birthdays Oct. 2".
  5. "Alabama Shakes - American rock band".
  6. "Brittany Howard {{!}} Artist {{!}} GRAMMY.com".
  7. (September 3, 2015). "Review: 'Thunderbitch' Features Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes". [[The New York Times]].
  8. Kreps, Daniel. (2025-02-07). "Alabama Shakes Map Out Summer Reunion Tour".
  9. Hermes, Will. (February 28, 2013). "Alabama Shakes' Unlikely Triumph".
  10. Lloyd, Jack. (September 17, 2019). "Brittany Howard: Staying High". Line of Best Fit.
  11. Cane, Clay. (June 25, 2013). "Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes: "I Don't Think About Color"". [[Viacom International]].
  12. (January 28, 2016). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard On Small-Town Life, Big-Time Music".
  13. Jupp, Emily. (July 3, 2015). "Alabama Shakes interview: 'I didn't think I wanted to do this any more'". [[The Independent]].
  14. (March 11, 2015). "Brittany Howard - Singer". [[A&E (TV channel).
  15. Rhodes, Joe. (March 18, 2015). "Alabama Shakes's Soul-Stirring, Shape-Shifting New Sound". The New York Times.
  16. Caulfield, Keith. (April 29, 2015). "Alabama Shakes Scores Its First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart".
  17. "Reviews for Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes".
  18. Breihan, Tom. (September 9, 2015). "Watch The Surprise All-Star Musical Finale Of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Premiere".
  19. Minsker, Evan. (August 1, 2015). "Paul McCartney Performs "Get Back" With Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, "FourFiveSeconds" at Lollapalooza".
  20. (October 5, 2015). "Tracy Morgan Joins Lineup for Eddie Murphy Mark Twain Prize Ceremony".
  21. (October 22, 2015). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Named Billboard's 2015 Women in Music 'Powerhouse' Artist".
  22. Blistein, Jon. (September 1, 2015). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Releases New LP as Thunderbitch".
  23. (October 20, 2015). "Brittany Howard's Thunderbitch played ATO's CMJ showcase w/ Margaret Glaspy, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Joseph (pics)".
  24. Powers, Ann. (September 6, 2017). "Songs We Love: Bermuda Triangle, 'Rosey'".
  25. Gold, Adam. (July 13, 2017). "Watch Brittany Howard Side Project Bermuda Triangle Make Live Debut".
  26. Stickler, Jon. (September 7, 2017). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Shares Debut Single Of New Band Bermuda Triangle".
  27. (June 25, 2019). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Announces Debut Solo Album, Shares New Song: Listen".
  28. "Brittany Howard: Jaime".
  29. (July 16, 2019). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard Shares Terry Crews-Starring Video for New Song: Watch".
  30. Martoccio, Angie. (April 15, 2020). "Hear Brittany Howard Cover Funkadelic's 'You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks'".
  31. (2021-03-31). "KCRW Presents Lockdown Listening: Lady Blackbird".
  32. (2023-10-13). "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
  33. Pearis, Bill. (2024-04-23). "Brittany Howard & Michael Kiwanuka announce fall co-headline tour (BrooklynVegan presale for Central Park show)".
  34. "Brittany Howard didn't expect to be so moved by a script about a pony who dreams of music stardom".
  35. "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard announces new hardcore project".
  36. Arnold, Chuck. (September 19, 2019). "Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard rocks to a solo beat on new album". [[New York Post]].
  37. Robinson, Lisa. (August 25, 2015). "We Talked Smoking, Drinking, and Soul-Baring with Alabama Shakes". [[Vanity Fair (magazine).
  38. (January 23, 2024). "Brittany Howard Taps Into the Ancestors, and Finds a New Groove". The New York Times.
  39. "The Rober Awards 2019 Music Poll | Rober Awards".
  40. "UK Music Video Awards 2019: all the nominations! | News | Promonews".
  41. (January 8, 2020). "The Nominations for the 31st Annual GLAAD Awards".
  42. "Americana Music Honors & Awards - 2020".
  43. "Archived copy".
  44. (November 24, 2020). "Grammy Nominations 2021". The New York Times.
  45. Grein, Paul. (March 22, 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers, Run the Jewels & Perfume Genius Among Top Nominees For 2021 Libera Awards".
  46. Aswad, Jem. (March 23, 2022). "Japanese Breakfast, Jason Isbell, Arlo Parks Lead Indie-Music Collective A2IM's 2022 Libera Awards Nominees". [[Variety (magazine).
  47. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Billboard 200".
  48. "Diskografie Brittany Howard". [[Ö3 Austria Top 40]].
  49. "Discografie Brittany Howard".
  50. "Discografie Brittany Howard".
  51. "Brittany Howard – Chart History: Canadian Albums".
  52. "Discography Brittany Howard". Hung Medien.
  53. "Discografie Brittany Howard". Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
  54. "Discografy Brittany Howard". spanishcharts.com.
  55. "Brittany Howard {{!}} full Official Chart history". [[Official Charts Company]].
  56. Hussey, Allison. (October 13, 2023). "Brittany Howard Announces New Album What Now, Shares Video: Watch".
  57. "Brittany Howard Chart History (Current Album Sales)".
  58. "Brittany Howard Chart History – Top Album Sales".
  59. "Brittany Howard Chart History – Americana/Folk Albums".
  60. "Spotify Singles by Brittany Howard".
  61. "Live At Sound Emporium".
  62. "Jaime (The Remixes) - Single by Brittany Howard".
  63. "Brittany Howard – Chart History: Adult Alternative Airplay". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  64. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Adult R&B Songs".
  65. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Alternative Digital Song Sales".
  66. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Hot Rock Songs".
  67. "Brittany Howard – Chart History: Canada Rock". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  68. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Mexico Ingles Airplay".
  69. (August 2, 2021). "NZ Hot Singles Chart". [[Recorded Music NZ]].
  70. "You'll Never Walk Alone - Single by Brittany Howard".
  71. "Brittany Howard – Chart History: Rock Digital Song Sales". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  72. "Stay High again.. - Single by Brittany Howard, Joy Anonymous, & Fred Again..".
  73. Yoo, Noah. (March 8, 2021). "Brittany Howard Covers Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"".
  74. "Brittany Howard – Chart History: Rock & Alternative Airplay". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  75. "Higher (feat. Brittany Howard) - Single by Thad Cockrell".
  76. "Brittany Howard Chart History - Hot Singles Sales".
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