- Omar & the Howlers
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Omar & the Howlers is a Texas based electric blues and blues rock band,[1] formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1973 by the blues guitarist and singer Omar Kent Dykes.[2] Three years later they moved to Austin, Texas.[2] The band has regularly toured European countries.[3][4][5]
Contents
Early years
Dykes grew up in McComb, Mississippi, began playing the guitar at age 7 and joined his first band at 12. In his 20s, he gathered a group of musicians who started calling themselves 'the Howlers'.[2] They specialized in frat parties and were a party band, playing music that included both "R&B, R&R and even the occasional polka and western swing tune".[6] Dykes has said he remembers these days fondly. It was around this time that he started calling himself Omar and developed his penchant for the blues.
In 1976, the Howlers relocated to Austin, Texas,[2] at the time sporting a bustling music scene, home to such up-and-coming artists as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson. After a year of gigging in Austin, the rest of the band quit, feeling that they were not cut out to play music full-time.[citation needed] As they headed back to Mississippi, Dykes stayed and kept the name. He worked out a new lineup, and recorded the debut album Big Leg Beat for Stomp Records in 1980, just after fellow Austin band The Fabulous Thunderbirds.[6] The record was a local hit and was followed by, I Told You So.
Success
It was not until 1987, however, when Dykes signed a recording contract with Columbia, that the band would succeed. That year saw the release of Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, that went on to sell in excess of 500,000 copies.[6] The band now consisted of Dykes singing and playing the guitar, Bruce Jones on bass and Gene Brandon on drums.
Since then, Omar & the Howlers has released around twenty successful albums, both for Columbia and Provogue Records, as well as their current record label, Ruf Records.
Band members
- Omar Dykes - vocals, guitar
- Bruce Jones - bass
- Gene Brandon - drums
- Stephen Bruton - guitar
- Paul Junior - bass
- Steve Kilmer - drums
- Mark Hallman - percussion
- Gary Pimrich - harmonica
- Nick Connolly - organ
Discography
- Big Leg Beat (1980)
- I Told You So (1984)
- Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty (1987)
- Wall of Pride (1988)
- Monkey Land (1990)
- Live at the Paradiso (1992)
- Courts of Lulu (1992)
- Blues Bag (1992) - Omar solo
- Muddy Springs Road (1995) - Omar solo
- World Wide Open (1995)
- Southern Style (1995)
- Swingland (1998)
- Live at the Opera House Austin, Texas 8/30/1987 (2000)
- The Screaming Cat (2000)
- Big Delta (2001)
- Boogie Man (2003)
- Bamboozled (2006)
- Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmy Vaughan: On The Jimmy Reed Highway (2007)
- Big Town Playboy, Omar solo with guests 2009
References
- ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ^ a b c d Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 151–152. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ (Danish) "Forårsprogram 2005 – PÅSKEBAL - OMAR and the Howlers og TopNudge som opvarmning! Påskesøndag 27. marts" – brovstmusik.dk (Retrieved on April 18, 2008)
- ^ (Norwegian) "Billetter igjen, men vær rask ute" – Karmsund Avis (28.06.06) (Retrieved on April 18, 2008)
- ^ (Norwegian) "Omar topper bluesfestivalen" – Østlandets Blad (31.05.2007) (Retrieved on April 18, 2008)
- ^ a b c Official homepage (Retrieved on 2008-04-18)
External links
Categories:- American blues musical groups
- Black Top Records artists
- Texas blues musicians
- Electric blues musicians
- Blues rock musicians
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