Howard Hewett
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Howard Hewett (Born October 1, 1955 in Akron, Ohio) is an American R&B and gospel singer and former lead vocalist of the R&B group Shalamar.
Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles and, after a stint as a dancer on Soul Train, became a member of Shalamar, along with fellow Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels. The trio is best known for songs such as "Second Time Around", "A Night to Remember", "Dancing in the Sheets" and the ballad "This Is For The Lover In You". Hewett was the group's lead singer from 1979 until 1985.
When Shalamar broke up in the mid 1980s, Hewett went on to pursue a solo career. He signed with Elektra Records and recorded 1986's I Commit To Love, a relatively solid urban album that yielded two R&B hits, "I’m For Real" and "Stay". The album also included "Say Amen", a gospel tune that became a surprise hit on the Gospel charts and is Hewett's signature song. In 1990, Hewett released a self-titled album, which included the hit "Show Me", and 1992 saw the release of the LP Allegiance, which was not received as well as previous albums.
After 1995’s It’s Time, Hewett stopped recording solo, spending much of his time providing guest vocals on albums by jazz artists such as Joe Sample, Brian Culbertson, and George Duke, among others. In 2001, Hewett recorded his first full gospel album, The Journey, followed a year later by The Journey Live: From the Heart.
In 2007, Hewett is expected to release his first studio album in nearly six years. The first single from the album, "Enough", debuted in November 2006 and has received substantial airplay on urban and R&B radio stations.
[edit] Trivia
- Hewett is the former husband of actress/singer Nia Peeples.
- Hewett duetted with La Toya Jackson on her only Hot 100 hit single "Heart Don't Lie" in 1984.
- He also contributed to the second season theme song of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, which was a remake of Sam and Dave's soul hit "Soul Man".
