In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African-American clientele, and had played host to many of the great Black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century.

[4] Designed by J. Edward Storck,[3] the theater featured orchestra and balcony seats and eight proscenium boxes, with a lavishly decorated interior.

[8] In 1931, as part of the venue's return to its original purpose, Duke Ellington appeared with his band at "the Howard", helping also to cement the theater's reputation as an entertainment hotspot.

[4] The Howard Theatre turned into a house for rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues during the 1950s and 1960s, when many important acts from both genres played there.

Among the acts to grace the stage were Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Lena Horne, Lionel Hampton, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells[10] The 1968 riots, which followed the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., caused the venue a great deal of harm.

[4] Later in the decade, go-go bands played the venue,[4] and Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers also performed at the Howard Theatre in the 1970s and 1980s.

[15] To oversee management of the facility, Ellis Development created the nonprofit Howard Theatre Restoration Inc.[12][15] In September 2010, groundbreaking for extensive renovations of the theater was held.

[17] Since its reopening, it has hosted a diverse lineup of well-known acts, including Vic Mensa, Anthony Hamilton, Raheem DeVaughn, Chrisette Michele, Tamia, Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter, Esperanza Spalding, Pete Yorn, José James, The Roots, Slick Rick, Chaka Khan, Sizzla, Aaron Neville, Kendrick Lamar,[12] Sheila E, Keke Wyatt, and Todrick Hall.