Brian Howe, former Bad Company and Ted Nugent singer, dies at 66
Brian Howe, lead singer of rock group Bad Company in the late '80s and '90s, has died. He was 66.
The British musician died Wednesday after suffering from cardiac arrest at his Florida home, according to Howe's publicist Francine Marseille. EMTs had a short conversation with Howe but were unable to revive him after.
"It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a loving father, friend and musical icon," Paul Easton, his longtime friend and manager, said in a statement sent to USA TODAY.
“Finding the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts over losing my brother has been difficult." Howe's sister, Sadie, added. “Our family would like to thank you for your compassion and the outpouring of love we are receiving.”
Howe rose to fame in 1984 as the lead vocalist of guitarist Ted Nugent's album "Penetrator," which spawned the hit "Tied Up in Love." Two years later, he replaced Paul Rodgers as the frontman of Bad Company, writing and singing on four albums including 1986's "Fame and Fortune," 1988's "Dangerous Age" and 1990's "Holy Water." He left the band after the release of 1992 album "Here Comes Trouble" and tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd, due to tension with bandmates Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke.
"Leaving Bad Company was not a difficult decision, it had got to the point where nobody was contributing anything to songwriting and quite frankly the band was getting very very sloppy live," Howe told MelodicRock.com in 2011. "I quite simply, along with (producer) Terry Thomas, got tired of doing all the work and then get nothing but resentment for it from Mick and Simon."
Howe went on to release three solo albums, the last being "Circus Bar" in 2010. He was on tour with musicians Paul Warren, Christopher Turnbow, Miguel Gonzales and Rick Brothers prior to the live music shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, but was looking forward to returning to the stage, Marseille says.
"I feel we are all put in this world for a reason” Howe's son, Michael, said in a statement. “The passion for music was my father’s, and I am so happy that his legacy will live on.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brian Howe, former Bad Company and Ted Nugent singer, dies at 66
