[1] Howard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was only six years old when he began taking music lessons at school on clarinet and bassoon.

[2] In the early 1980s, Howard started his solo career, and released his first and second studio albums, Asphalt Gardens in 1982, and Steppin' Out in 1984.

[5] The track was promoted in 1984 in the United Kingdom by DJ Robbie Vincent, and is now a classic among soul and jazz enthusiasts.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Howard performed at a hospitality house for the continent of Africa, which influenced his music after a visit there.

[9][6] His final album, There's a Riot Goin' On was released posthumously under the Blue Note Records label two months after his death.