[5] Raised in Akron, Ohio,[6] Hewett moved to Los Angeles in 1976, where he first met Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley at a club in the LA Crenshaw district.
[7] Hewett formed a show group called "Beverly Hills" and toured throughout Europe, the UK, Scandinavia and Asia for all of 1977 till the middle of 1978.
[8] Within three days Hewett flew to New Jersey, where he met up with Watley and Daniel and started recording the Big Fun LP with their producer, Leon Sylvers.
The trio went on to record songs such as "Second Time Around", "Make That Move", "A Night to Remember", "Dancing in the Sheets" and the ballad "This Is for the Lover in You".
However, in 1985 before signing his solo deal with Elektra Records, he was arrested and indicted in Miami with his fiancée Mori Molina for possession with an intent to distribute cocaine.
He contributed to the second season theme song of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, which was a remake of Sam & Dave's R&B Top 10 hit "Soul Man".
In 1994, Howard Hewett recorded "Christmas Will Return" with Brenda Russell for the Disney holiday film The Santa Clause.
In October 2006, Hewett released a new single, "Enough" (with jazz musician George Duke), which received substantial play on urban contemporary and R&B radio stations.