RIP Greg Howard, Chapman Stick Master

axisus

A real shocker, I just saw the news on a Facebook post by Nick Beggs. Must have been 59, a year younger than me!



This is the official line:

It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Greg Howard on April 22, 2023 at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Greg's life was a life well lived. He was both a devoted family man and a devoted friend. As a musician, Greg was a superb talent. As an inspiration and teacher, he touched the lives of countless musicians worldwide and was arguably the most influential figure in the Chapman Stick community. His was a career of constant exploration and discovery and his first instinct was always to share what he learned. His approachability and his willingness to always give back are the reasons why many Stick players still active today stayed with it after the initial honeymoon. Greg was surely one of a kind and will be sorely missed.

Greg Howard was possibly the single most important Chapman stick player in the early days. I saw this video many years ago and was blown away by the instrument. Yes, the quality is horrible, but it really shows the possibilities



And this is his most famous piece:



I've owned a couple of Chapman sticks, never really figured them out. Bloody hard to play!

Rest in peace Greg, thanks for the inspiration.

TheBigDipper

OK, so he didn't invent the instrument, but I got more from Greg’s videos and books on playing the Stick than anyone else. His passion for it just shone through. He was a star. 

digitalkettle

I just tripped over this news and I'm gutted to read it ;-/

I dipped my toe in for a good few years...still have my Stick. In 2007, I went to a Stick seminar in London that was lead by Greg and he was a fine musician and a lovely chap...he had a great understanding of the instrument and how to make it sound its best. He seemed to have time to help everyone get something out of it in his thousands of posts on the Stick forum.

I really thought he'd be carrying the torch for decades after Emmett's passing at the end of 2021.

He will be missed!

digitalkettle

axisus said:

...
Greg Howard was possibly the single most important Chapman stick player in the early days. I saw this video many years ago and was blown away by the instrument. Yes, the quality is horrible, but it really shows the possibilities


...

That was the hook that grabbed me...he plays out with the 'Watchtower Groove' (at 1'30)...blew my mind.

Here's a more modern version of it:

GuyBoden

RIP

Such a great player on a very difficult instrument. Like many, I tried and failed to play a stick too.

Funkfingers

Only just noticed this news. I had been on a two-day training course.