Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Howard Curry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Howard , thanks for joining us today. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?

I’ll begin by saying that I have always admired those who teach. I can actually give you the names of all my teachers from 1st through 12th grade, and something specific to their manner – character as I saw it. That is but for 7th grade. For some reason I have no recollection of any of the names of my teachers. I did have an experience in 7th grade that left an indelible impression on me.

One day during lunch, I stood in line along with the other students. I suddenly realized that there were 4 of us who stood out in a way that was not so flattering, embarrassing in fact. To the point that I wished that I was invisible in that moment. We held blue 3×5 cards that were provided to students who received free lunch. Everyone else held either cash or a white 3×5 card. The white was purchased on a weekly basis as a matter of convenience for students and their families.

In that moment, I felt the power of stigma. I knew then and there that poverty hits hard and it hurts people in ways that are seen and unseen. This experience (though not the first of its kind) remains with me and helped shape my worldview, as a young boy coming of age. Moving forward I was conscious of the fact that I would need to find ways to create my own abilities to build stability in my life. The big take away for me, aside from the importance of being kind, was to do things for myself, and to take responsibility for my actions.

School taught me the value of building a sense of self and to avoid allowing others to do for me what I can do for myself.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a songwriter, a songwriter at heart. My fascination with music and songs began very early in life. There was always music playing wherever I was as a kid. In retrospect there were many musical influences around me at all times. My parents, grandparents, aunts uncles all were spinning records or playing the radio.

As I sat on his knee, my maternal grandfather would sing the Leadbelly song “In The Pines”. Though I was a just a kid, I could feel the forlorn nature of those lyrics and melody. You could say I could hear the pain in every word.

My father, who himself was a musical historian of sorts, was a huge Hank Williams Sr. fan. He owned several of Hank’s records. He would sit up late at night listening. Even as a young boy, the “Luke the Drifter” recordings resonated with me the deepest. I’ve always felt that the song “Beyond The Sunset” was the most impactful love song I’ve heard, though poignant.

I had an uncle who was a guitar picker, and a good one. He owned nice guitars and would sit in his living room as we sat around and played Chet Atkins style through a small amplifier. At 5 or 6 years old I was enamored with his ability. I was fascinated watching him play. It was great entertainment. He’d play a while then we’d watch the “Grand Ole Opry” or “Hee Haw”. Those were simple but impactful memories.

My mother was a pretty good singer herself. She knew every Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline song. There would be some late nights of her singing “a cappella” as she entertained whoever might be assembled. My all-time favorite song that she sang was “Blue Kentucky Girl” record by Loretta Lynn and written by Johnny Mullins. My mother was born in Kentucky.

The first time I was conscious of the fact that I wanted to write a song was at the age of 9 or so. After baseball practice we would walk over to the concession stand/game room where there was a jukebox, pinball machine etc. I had a dime so I dropped it in the jukebox and played The Jimmy Webb song “Galveston”, which was recorded by Glenn Campbell. That song is roughly 2 and half minutes long. In that brief couple minutes I fell in love with Galveston. I knew the song writer had told a big story with a few words. The full gamut human emotions were somehow clear to me in that moment.

As for my songs, they all are derived from my life’s journey. All the people I’ve known and experiences that I’ve had or experienced vicariously through others. I try to write honest songs, story songs, songs of life. Ultimately I want people to hear my songs and be moved to think or feel, and want them to come back and listen again.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It’s always a great feeling to finish a song. I’ve learned that when I write a song, in that moment is just a snapshot of what a song might be or become. It will likely evolve during recording, and as it’s played for others. The core of the song remains but you cannot contain it or relegate a song to a place, position or meaning. People who hear the song, assign all those things to it. In other words it’s a living thing.

How did you build your audience on social media?

For me, building a digital presence is an ongoing process. I am still coming to terms with this aspect of being a song writer and promoting my work. So I would say that my footprint is limited, in terms of who I might potentially reach.

There is more music being created today than ever before. Case in point I recently received an offer from a well established online platform for an 11.95 monthly subscription of unlimited access to all music that is available through this platform. That’s a vast sea of music.

Though it’s easier to create music today, the sheer number of songs being produced creates a seemingly insurmountable prospect of building a fan base. No doubt for those who are not legacy artists this requires an acute understanding of the digital world and the willingness to engage on these platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://howardjacksoncurry.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThatDirtRoadRadioShow1962
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=howard+jackson+curry
• Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/howardjacksoncurry?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav

Image Credits

Howard Jackson Curry