(ON THE ROAD) – Blues Champs Howard And The White Boys hit the road with a busy July and August of shows throughout the Midwest states of Indiana and Illinois, with dates including Kamm Island Park in Mishawaka, Indiana this Saturday, July 16 at 7pm; Concerts In The Park in St. Charles, IL. on Thursday, July 21; Harlem Avenue Lounge in Berwyn, Illinois, Saturday, July 23; and Town Square Concert in Schaumburg, IL, Monday, August 1 (6:45 PM, all ages, free). For a complete schedule of upcoming Howard and the White Boys shows, click here.
Howard and the White Boys (Howard McCullum, bass and vocals, Rocco Calipari, guitar, Pete Galanis, guitar; Jim Christopulos drums), were once referred to as “Chicago’s Hardest-Working Blues Band,” with a long-established reputation as one of the Windy City’s favorite blues bands. They’ve been on several major tours with blues great Buddy Guy (the latter who made a rare guest appearance on their third release The Big $core), making regular appearances at his Buddy Guy’s Legends club as well. H&TWB have performed with some of the biggest names in Blues, including Koko Taylor, Otis Rush, Albert King, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, to name but a few.
Rosa’s Lounge, their most recent release, was named after the legendary Chicago club where the band’s CD was recorded. Captured live on one of those magical nights where the crowd and band feed off of each other’s exuberance and energy, Rosa’s Lounge reveals a group at the top of its game and offers insight into why many consider Howard & The White Boys one of the best live contemporary blues acts to emerge from Chicago’s respected blues scene.
Howard and the White Boys formed in 1988 at NIU (Northern Illinois University) in DeKalb, IL, and began jamming together just for fun. Their fast-growing popularity soon convinced them they could make a career of it. After only a few months, the quartet got their first big break, opening for B.B. King. Their reputation quickly grew in Chicago and they began performing with the biggest names in blues: Koko Taylor, Otis Rush, Albert King, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry.
Between 1994 and 1997, the group made two highly-acclaimed recordings, Strung Out On The Blues and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, for (then) Los Angeles-based Mighty Tiger Records. While traveling extensively across the United States, their growing popularity captured the attention of Philadelphia-based Evidence Records. The Big $core was the first of three successful discs released by Evidence. In 2007, Evidence released the critically-acclaimed Made in Chicago, which showcased the group’s versatility and encompassed the Funk, R&B, and Rock styles that have become Howard and the White Boys trademarks.
They continue to be an in-demand act both nationally and internationally, utilizing the same band lineup now for several decades.