Brittany Amber Howard (born October 2, 1988) is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes and as a solo artist have garnered her five Grammy Awards (including Best Alternative Music Album) from 18 nominations. Later in the decade, Howard played bass in the side project Thunderbitch and both acoustic guitar and double bass for the trio Bermuda Triangle.
In 2018, Alabama Shakes announced it was going on hiatus. In 2019, Howard released her debut studio album as a solo artist, Jaime. The album received critical acclaim and seven Grammy nominations, winning Best Rock Song for "Stay High". Its follow-up, What Now, was released in February 2024. In early 2025, Alabama Shakes announced a summer reunion tour scheduled for July to September.
Early life Howard was born in Athens, Alabama, one of two daughters born to Christi (née Carter) and K. J. Howard. Her mother is white, of English and Irish ancestry while her father is African American. The family's home was in a junk yard and it once burned down from a lightning strike. She learned to write poetry and play the piano from her older sister Jaime, who died from retinoblastoma in 1998; Howard had the same affliction but survived with partial blindness in one eye. Her parents separated soon after that. She began playing the guitar at age 13; she was enamored with albums by Dionne Warwick and Elvis Presley, which she listened to repeatedly, and was inspired to write song lyrics.
Howard attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell. In high school, Howard began listening to 1970s rock music, such as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. "I'd be in the back of this Buick and be like 'What's this? This is really cool' and my friends told me it was Pink Floyd and I was like 'Whoa', it blew my mind. I started getting into all the classic rock stuff, like Yes, Cream, all that stuff."
After high school, Howard worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes.
Career
Brittany Howard is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the American rock band Alabama Shakes. The band formed under the name "The Shakes" when Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell began playing covers and original songs together with drummer Steve Johnson. Guitarist Heath Fogg later rounded out the lineup, and the band began playing shows at bars in Alabama and recording their debut album, Boys & Girls. They signed a record deal with ATO Records and released Boys & Girls in 2012 which received critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations.
In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and received favorable reviews from the music press. The band performed on multiple late night shows including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Howard was featured in the musical medley alongside Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, Ben Folds, and other artists in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of "Get Back" with Paul McCartney. She also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy's Mark Twain Prize. In 2015, she was named the recipient of Billboard's Women in Music "Powerhouse" Award.
Howard is also the lead singer of the rock band Thunderbitch, formed in Nashville in 2012 with members of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO Records' labelmates Fly Golden Eagle. The band surprise released a self-titled album in September 2015. Although the band rarely makes live appearances, they played a rare set at ATO Records' CMJ Music Marathon showcase in October 2015.
Brittany Howard is also a singer in the band Bermuda Triangle with Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari, which was formed in Nashville in 2017. Their debut live performance was on July 12, 2017, at the Basement East in Nashville. The trio released their first single on September 6, 2017, titled "Rosey", which was first released on Jesse Lafser's 2015 album "Raised On The Plains". Although originally believed to be a one time performance, the trio performed a five show tour through the southern states of the US in October 2017. This small tour included shows in Carrboro and Asheville, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and Knoxville, Tennessee.
In June 2019, Brittany Howard announced a debut solo album, Jaime which was released on September 20, 2019, as well as a tour across North America and Europe. Jaime was received with universal acclaim; Pitchfork noted, "The exceptional solo debut from the Alabama Shakes singer-songwriter is a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes." On July 16, 2019, Howard released the music video to the single Stay High, featuring actor Terry Crews lip-syncing to the track. On April 15, 2020, she released a cover of a Funkadelic's 1971 song "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks" and a new rendition of her song "Stay High". Stay High was recommended as an "appropriate musical remedy" to get people through lockdown and quarantine by KCRW. On October 13, 2023, she released the title track to her second album What Now. In the same year, Rolling Stone named Howard to its "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list.
In 2024, Howard announced a co-headlining tour with British rhythm and blues singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka.
Howard made her acting debut in the animated film Thelma the Unicorn, which debuted on Netflix May 17, 2024. Howard's personality, hair, and songs were all used as inspiration for her character in the film.
In late November 2024, Howard announced the debut of her hardcore project Kumite. Kumite played their first show in Nashville, in January 2025.
In 2024, Howard co-wrote an original track with Ludwig Göransson, Pale Pale Moon, which was prominently featured in Ryan Coogler's film Sinners. Both Howard's original demo and the movie version performed by actress Jayme Lawson are featured on the soundtrack album.
On October 3, 2026, Howard will perform at the Power to the People Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The festival, which is being put on by Tom Morello, will also feature performances by Morello, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters and many others. The festival is being held in response to President Donald Trump.
Influences Artists Howard has cited as influences include Led Zeppelin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, David Bowie, Mavis Staples, Tom Waits, Björk, Gil Scott-Heron, Freddie Mercury, and Tina Turner.
Personal life Howard came out as a lesbian at age 25. She married fellow musician Jesse Lafser in 2018; they divorced the following year. She has been in a relationship with Anna-Maria Babcock (Anya) since late 2022, or early 2023.
Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Nominated Work Result 2019Rober Award Music Prize Best Female ArtistHerself Best R&B Album of the Year Jaime UK Music Video Award Best Rock Video - International "Stay High" 2020Grammy Award Best Rock Song"History Repeats" Best Rock Performance GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Music ArtistJaimeAmericana Music Honors & Awards Artist of the YearHerself Song of the Year"Stay High" Album of the YearJaimeLibera Award Album of the Year 2021Grammy AwardBest Rock Performance"Stay High" Best Rock Song Best Alternative Music AlbumJaime Best R&B Performance"Goat Head" Best American Roots Performance"Short and Sweet" Libera Award Best Sync Usage "You'll Never Walk Alone"(Johnnie Walker's #KeepItMoving Campaign) 2022Best Dance Record"Stay High again.."Best R&B RecordJaime (Reimagined)2025Grammy AwardBest Alternative Music AlbumWhat Now2026 Best Song Written for Visual Media"Pale, Pale Moon"
Discography
Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected information Title Details Peak chart positions US AUT BEL(FL) BEL(WA) CAN FRA NL SCOPeaks on the Scottish Albums Chart: Jaime: SPA UK JaimeReleased: September 20, 2019 Label: ATO Formats: CD, LP, digital download 13 59 29 159 34 182 76 13 98 36 What NowReleased: February 9, 2024 Label: Island Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — 75 — — — — 45 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Remix albums Title Details Peak chart positions USCurrent Jaime (Reimagined)Released: July 23, 2021 Label: ATO Formats: LP, digital download, streaming 71
Extended plays Title Details Peak chart positions USSales USFolk Spotify SinglesReleased: April 15, 2020 Label: ATO Formats: streaming — — Live at Sound EmporiumReleased: August 29, 2020 Label: ATO Formats: LP 51 20 Jaime (The Remixes)Released: September 17, 2020 Label: ATO Formats: Digital download — — Live from East West StudiosReleased: May 7, 2021 Label: ATO Formats: Digital download — —
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album USAAA USAdultR&B USAlt.Dig. USRock BEL(FL)Tip CANRock MEXAir NLDAir For "Stay High": NZHot "I Wonder"(with Ruby Amanfu) 2012 — — — — — — — — — "History Repeats" 2019 — — — — — — 49 — — Jaime "Stay High" 1 23 24 34 22 — 50 41 — "He Loves Me"2020 28 — — — — — — — — "You'll Never Walk Alone" — — 12 — — — — — — "Stay High again.."(with Joy Anonymous and Fred again..)2021 — — — — — — — — —Jaime (Reimagined) "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" — — — — — — — — — "Presence" — — — — — — — — —Jaime (Reimagined) "Tomorrow" — — — — — — — — — "Checks and Balances" — — — — — — — — — "Stay High" — — — — — — — — 36Jaime (Reimagined) "Running with the Angels"2022 — — — — — — — — — "What Now"2023 1 — — — — 30 — — —What Now "Red Flags" — — — — — — — — — "Prove It to You"2024 29 — — — — — — — — "Power to Undo" — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist Title Year Album"Higher"(Thad Cockrell featuring Brittany Howard)2020If In Case You Feel the Same
Other charted songs Title Year Peak chart positions Album USSales "It Makes No Difference"(My Morning Jacket featuring Brittany Howard) 2012 11 Endless Highway - The Music of the Band
Other appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Other artist(s) Album "For You Alone" 2011 Matt Stephens Matt Stephens "West on Train"2013 Turk Tresize Soul Casino "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am" My Morning Jacket, Merrill Garbus Red Hot + Fela "I Feel Free" 2015 Joy (Music from the Motion Picture) "Darkness and Light" 2016 John Legend Darkness and Light "Higher" 2020 Thad Cockrell If In Case You Feel The Same "Shining Star" 2022 Verdine White Minions: Rise of Gru (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) "Fire Inside" 2024 Thelma the Unicorn: Soundtrack From The Netflix Film"Walk of Fame"2025Miley CyrusSomething Beautiful
With Alabama Shakes
Boys & Girls (2012) Sound & Color (2015)
With Thunderbitch Thunderbitch (2015)
Notes
References
External links