Howard E. Scott
Encyclopedia
Howard E. Scott is an American funk/rock guitarist and founding member of the successful 1970s funk band War
.
. He began playing bass at a very young age under the guidance of his cousin, Jack Nelson, and in 1961 began playing guitar. A year later, he formed a group called the Creators with Harold Brown
, and together they played at high school dances, car club parties and small night clubs in southern California. Scott was influenced by blues artists TJ Summerville, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters
, Jimmy Reed
and Wayne Bennett
. He frequented the local blues clubs in South Los Angeles
to study professionals such as Lowell Fulson
, Johnny Guitar Watson, and T-Bone Walker
.
Howard graduated from Compton High School in 1964. He toured with The Drifters
for a short time, until he was drafted into the United States Army
in 1966. Upon his return, he formed his second group, The Night Shift, with Harold Brown. In 1969, the Night Shift was performing at the Rag Doll club in North Hollywood , when Eric Burdon
and Lee Oskar
stopped in to hear them play. Lee Oskar went to the stage to join in on a jam, and the next day Eric Burdon, Lee Oskar, Charles Miller
, Papa Dee Allen, Lonnie Jordan
and Peter Rosen joined Scott and Brown to form the band War.
Scott contributed lyrics, music, and co-produced some of War’s greatest hits, such as Cisco Kid, Slipping into Darkness and Why Can’t We Be Friends?. He was also the frontman and leader of the group. Scott and other members eventually left the original band in the 1990s, losing the right to use the band's name.
Scott now performs regularly with his nephew, B.B. Dickerson
, Lee Oskar
, and Harold Brown
as the Lowrider Band
.
War (band)
War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...
.
Biography
Scott grew up in Compton, CaliforniaCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
. He began playing bass at a very young age under the guidance of his cousin, Jack Nelson, and in 1961 began playing guitar. A year later, he formed a group called the Creators with Harold Brown
Harold Brown
Harold Brown may refer to:*Harold Brown *Harold P. Brown, builder of the first electric chair*Harold L. Brown, Pennsylvania politician*Harold Brown , American physicist, U.S...
, and together they played at high school dances, car club parties and small night clubs in southern California. Scott was influenced by blues artists TJ Summerville, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Jimmy Reed
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
and Wayne Bennett
Wayne Bennett (blues guitarist)
Wayne Bennett was an American blues guitarist.-Biography:He was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, and died in New Orleans Louisiana. He worked with blues musicians such as Bobby Bland, Boxcar Willie, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker and Elmore James, as well as with jazz musicians, including Cannonball...
. He frequented the local blues clubs in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
to study professionals such as Lowell Fulson
Lowell Fulson
Lowell Fulson was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom...
, Johnny Guitar Watson, and T-Bone Walker
T-Bone Walker
Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker was a critically acclaimed American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound. He is the first musician recorded playing blues with the...
.
Howard graduated from Compton High School in 1964. He toured with The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
for a short time, until he was drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1966. Upon his return, he formed his second group, The Night Shift, with Harold Brown. In 1969, the Night Shift was performing at the Rag Doll club in North Hollywood , when Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
and Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...
stopped in to hear them play. Lee Oskar went to the stage to join in on a jam, and the next day Eric Burdon, Lee Oskar, Charles Miller
Charles Miller
-Sportsmen:*Charlie Miller , Major League Baseball player*Charlie Miller , Major League Baseball player*Charlie Miller , Scottish footballer...
, Papa Dee Allen, Lonnie Jordan
Lonnie Jordan
Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan was a founding member of War, an American funk band in the 1970s and 1980s. Jordan had a number of roles over the years, acting as vocalist and playing guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion...
and Peter Rosen joined Scott and Brown to form the band War.
Scott contributed lyrics, music, and co-produced some of War’s greatest hits, such as Cisco Kid, Slipping into Darkness and Why Can’t We Be Friends?. He was also the frontman and leader of the group. Scott and other members eventually left the original band in the 1990s, losing the right to use the band's name.
Scott now performs regularly with his nephew, B.B. Dickerson
B.B. Dickerson
Morris "B.B." Dickerson was the bass player for the 1970s Latin–funk group War, and before that The Creators....
, Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...
, and Harold Brown
Harold Brown
Harold Brown may refer to:*Harold Brown *Harold P. Brown, builder of the first electric chair*Harold L. Brown, Pennsylvania politician*Harold Brown , American physicist, U.S...
as the Lowrider Band
Lowrider Band
The Lowrider Band consists of four of the five surviving original core group members of the multi-platinum selling band War: Howard E. Scott, B.B. Dickerson, Lee Oskar, and Harold Brown. These members lost the right in federal court to use and tour under the name "War" in the mid-1990s to Far Out...
.
External links
- [ Howard E. Scott] on Allmusic
- Howard Scott Band
- Lowrider Band
- http://Facebook.com/Lowriderband