Keith Howland (born August 14, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer. He was the lead guitarist for the veteran pop-

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

from 1995-2021. Howland started playing the guitar at the age of seven, and he played in a number of bands during his school years. He attended elementary school in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

in 1986 with a degree in communications. In 1987, Keith moved to Los Angeles and took a job with Andy Brauer Studio Rentals, which helped him to make invaluable contacts in the music industry. He also continued playing as much as possible, including a 1993 summer tour with

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

. In 1995, Chicago was looking for a new lead guitarist following the departure of

Dawayne Bailey Dawayne Bailey is an American guitarist who has toured and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Véronique Sanson, and Chicago. Bailey was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. While still attending Manhattan High School in Kansas, ...

. Howland was a long-time fan of the band and of their co-founding guitarist,

Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...

. Howland appeared uninvited at the auditions, and attained a chance meeting with the band's bassist,

Jason Scheff Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter. From 1985 to 2016, he was the bassist and one of the lead vocalists for the rock band Chicago; he is the longest-serving member in the bassist/vocalist p ...

. He performed a last-minute audition, and was offered the job on the same day. Howland has also pursued projects outside the band, including projects he has done with Chicago's former drummer

Tris Imboden Gregory Tristan "Tris" Imboden (born July 27, 1951) is an American rock and jazz drummer. As a performer, he has been in studio sessions and on tour with some of the most notable and highest-selling musicians of all time. He was the drummer fo ...

. Their collaborative effort is known as The Howland/Imboden Project, releasing two albums. The sound can be described as all-instrumental, jazz/rock/fusion. The eponymous ''The Howland/Imboden Project'' is a studio album, and ''Live At The Baked Potato'' is a live recording. In November 2007 Keith released an album titled ''KeCraig''. This album started as a jam session in November 2007 with his brother Craig. Howland collaborated with former Chicago keyboardist, guitarist, and vocalist

Bill Champlin William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, musician, arranger, producer, and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the band Chicago from 1981–2009. ...

on Champlin's 2008 solo album ''No Place Left to Fall''. On November 15, 2021, Howland suffered a broken arm in an accident and took a leave of absence from the band. On December 1, 2021, Howland announced his resignation from Chicago after more than 26 years, citing lengthy recovery time before being able to resume playing guitar, and the desire to begin the next phase of his life.

References

External links

Keith Howland official web site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howland, Keith 1964 births American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock singers American male singers Lead guitarists Chicago (band) members James Madison University alumni Living people Guitarists from Maryland People from Silver Spring, Maryland 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians