William "Hammy" Howell
British pianist
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William "Hammy" Howell (24 October 1954 – 13 January 1999) was a British piano and keyboard blues and boogie-woogie player, who played for the then-popular doo wop outfit Darts.[1][2]
Early life
Born in London, England, Howell became attracted to the piano at an early age.[1] He was nicknamed Hammy for keeping pet hamsters (later rats). He entered the Wennington School in 1966, departing in 1973.[3] After leaving school, Howell developed his own distinctive style of piano-playing, starting with blues, then rock and roll and eventually boogie-woogie.[1][2]
Career
In the 1970s, he backed Johnny Mars, a popular American electric blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter who had relocated to Britain. Mars and his Oakland Boogie Band frequently visited Germany, where they became popular among blues fans.[1][2] Howell then joined Darts (which evolved from Rocky Sharpe and the Razors) and stayed with them, on and off, through the 1980s until he left to study classical music.[1][2] During this period he occasionally taught piano, and at one point came to young Brendan Kavanagh's home to give him three free boogie-woogie lessons. Kavanagh today credits Howell as his boogie-woogie mentor.[4]: 01:28 [5]: 06:50 [1]
Health problems and death
After his mother's illness and death in 1979, he began suffering from health issues.[6] He put on an excessive amount of weight and would sometimes play in lounge at the Mambo Inn in Brixton.[1] Howell moved into a sheltered accommodation in Torquay, where he taught piano and played in the house band.[1] He died of heart failure at age 44 in Torquay, Devon, on 13 January 1999.[1][2]
Rita Ray, one of the vocalists from Darts, said of Howell's playing: "You don't come across a left-hand talent like that very often. Hammy's thunderous rhythm made him a natural for us."[1]