[1][2][3][4] Raised in Mulberry, Florida, United States, Howes began his musical endeavors at the age of ten by simultaneously learning the guitar and piano at home and the French horn at school.

By his teens, Howes was performing regularly with many local garage cover bands in a variety of styles, including punk, new wave, new romantic, Paisley Underground, folk/acoustic, and AOR rock/heavy metal.

In 1989, after graduating from Mulberry High School and then Polk Community College, Howes attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, and while there began his recording career, following the breakup of his band The Mustardseeds and after a stint with local faves Zombie Birdhouse.

Overdubbing all voices and instruments (except drums, performed by schoolmate Kelly Shane), Howes released his first collection Nothing Wrong With That first as a DIY cassette EP in 1993 and then (after adding four songs) as a full-length CD in 1995.

While piecing together a new group, Howes joined the psychedelic pop band Orange Hat (playing the Vox Continental organ), with whom he recorded the CD Pufferfish and continued to perform live until 2002.

These sessions, which featured a re-working of Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know", were released in a small run of CDs on Royal Fuzz Records as Kenny Howes & the Yeah!

The title track was written by David Crosby and originally recorded by the Byrds in 1967; the CD's cover art featured a Honda Super Cub motorcycle.

Howes also collaborated on a side project, Hautewerk, who recorded and released the disc Stop Start Again, and, in April 2009, licensed three songs to the Rockband video game.

[13] From November 2011 to June 2012, Howes played 12-string bass in Pat DiNizio's "Confessions of a Rock Star" band, performing with the Smithereens frontman six nights a week at The Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

[23] In November 2018, Kenny performed on bass with Don Fleming for two Velvet Monkeys reunion shows that were part of a series of concerts in honor of Henry Owings' 50th Birthday.