Updated January 23, 2008

b. 12 September 1914, Woodland, California, USA, d. 23 May 1963, Palm Desert, California, USA. After attending San Jose State College and Stanford University Medical School, Howard sang on radio and worked with bands led by George Olsen, Tom Gerun and Ben Bernie, eventually becoming the resident crooner with the Dick Jurgens Orchestra in 1934. Howard spent nearly six years with Jurgens, and had hits with "My Last Goodbye" and "Careless", both his own compositions. In 1941, after a short spell as a solo act, he formed his own band, basing its style on the popular Isham Jones Orchestra. This brought him success with "To Each His Own", "My Adobe Haçienda", "I Wonder, I Wonder", "An Apple Blossom Wedding" and "Now Is The Hour", all Top 20 recordings. In 1949 Howard signed to Mercury Records, and during the early 50s supplied the label with such major hits as "Maybe It's Because", "Be Anything, But Be Mine", "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" and "Sin". Beset by ill health, Howard decided to go solo again, though he did re-form his band later and made a slight impression on a rapidly changing music scene with his final success, "The Teenagers Waltz".