What Is Howard Hewett's Net Worth?
Howard Hewett is an American singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $1 million. Howard Hewett is best known for being a member of the R&B and soul group Shalamar. In addition to singing, Hewett plays the guitar and piano. Shalamar released their debut studio album, "Uptown Festival," in 1977. They released the album "Disco Gardens" in 1978. Shalamar's album "Big Fun" was released in 1979, and it reached #4 on the US R&B chart. Their 1979 single "The Second Time Around" reached #1 on the US R&B and US Dance charts.
They also had success with the albums "Three for Love" (1980) and "Go for It" (1981). Shalamar's album "Friends" was released in 1982. This album reached #1 on the US R&B chart. They also released the albums "The Look" (1983), "Heartbreak" (1984), "Circumstantial Evidence" (1987), and "Wake Up" (1990).
Early Life
Howard Hewett was born on October 1, 1955, in Akron, Ohio. He attended Buchtel High School. His mother was a promoter of gospel concerts and encouraged her children to sing gospel music as well. Hewett grew up singing with his three sisters as part of the group the Hewett Singers. They opened for large gospel acts who traveled through Akron, like The 5 Blind Boys and James Cleveland. While in high school, Howard played football and was interested in other types of music beyond Gospel. When he was 15 years old, his interest in R&B music further developed, and he joined the group Lyfe. He performed with the group around the city.
Career
In 1976, Hewett decided to move to Los Angeles. There, he first met Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley at a club in the LA Crenshaw district. He decided to form a show group called Beverly Hills that he toured with throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, and the UK. Howard toured with the group through all of 1977 and into 1978. When he returned from the overseas tour, he started recording for Jeffrey Bowen.
Around this time, he got a call from Jeffrey Daniel, who was in need of a lead singer. Hewett decided to accept the offer and flew to New Jersey three days later. There, he met with Daniel and Watley and the trio formed the group Shalamar. They first recorded the "Big Fun" LP along with producer Leon Sylvers; they later recorded songs like "A Night to Remember," "Make That Move," "Second Time Around," "Dancing in the Sheets," and the ballad "This is for the Lover in You." Hewett was the lead singer of Shalamar from 1979 until 1985.
In the mid-1980s, Shalamar decided to break up. Hewett went on to pursue a solo career. He signed a solo deal with Elektra Records in 1985. In 1986, he released his first solo album, "I Commit to Love." The album made it to the #12 spot on the R&B album charts and produced two top 10 R&B singles – "I'm for Real" and "Stay." In 1988, he released his second album, "Forever and Ever." This album featured the hits "Strange Relationship" and "Once, Twice, Three Times."
In 1990, Howard released his self-titled album. This album included the hit "Show Me" and "If I Could Only Have That Day Back." In 1992, he released his fourth album entitled "Allegiance." Unlike the previous three albums, this album was not as well-received. In addition to making his own music for albums, he also worked on other musical projects. He contributed to the second season theme song of "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper." The song was a remake of the Sam & Dave top 10 hit "Soul Man." The track was produced by singer Steve Tyrell.
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In 1994, Hewett recorded "Christmas Will Return" for the Disney holiday film "The Santa Clause." He recorded the song with singer Brenda Russell. He returned to recording his own music in 1995 with the album "It's Time." He then spent much of his time working with other artists and providing guest vocals for their albums. Howard worked with artists like Joe Sample, Brian Culbertson, and George Duke. In 2000, the group The Rippingtons featured Hewett on their track "I Found Heaven," which appeared on the album "Life in the Tropics." The following year, in 2001, Howard recorded his first full gospel album, "The Journey." The next year, he released another gospel album called "The Journey Live: From the Heart."
In October 2006, Hewett released a new single called "Enough" that he had made with George Duke. The single was played frequently on urban contemporary and R&B radio stations. The following year, he released another studio album – "If Only." In October 2008, he released a Christmas album called "Howard Hewett Christmas."
Personal Life
Hewett has been married four times throughout his life. With his first wife, Rainey Riley-Cunningham, he had two daughters named LaKiva Siani and Rainey Daze. The couple divorced in 1983. He then married his second wife, Mari Molina, in 1986. They divorced sometime afterward, though the specific year is not known.
In 1989, Howard married his third wife, actress and singer Nia Peeples. They had a son together named Christopher Eugene Howard Hewett the same year as their marriage. Peeples appeared in the music video for Hewett's track "Show Me." The couple divorced in 1993. Howard then married Angela Bloom and had one daughter with her named Anissa. They divorced in 2012. In addition to his children, Hewett also has a number of grandchildren. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Howard faced some legal trouble early on in his career. In 1985, just as he was about to launch his solo career, he was arrested and indicted in Miami with his then-fiancée, Mori Molina, for possession with an intent to distribute cocaine. Molina was also indicted and was convicted. She later testified that Hewett had nothing to do with the crime, and Howard was acquitted of all charges.
