Melanie HowardMay 19, 20201 minA FUN EVENING AT HARLAN HOWARD SONGS, FALL OF 1999Written by: Melanie Smith-Howard Producer extraordinaire, Tony Brown, called and asked if Harlan and I would be willing to host a...
Melanie HowardMar 22, 20202 minDennis Morgan and Harlan HowardHarlan and Dennis were more than just writing pals, they were also friends. It was imperative to Harlan to be friends first. He disliked...
Melanie HowardMar 10, 20202 minSOME OF THE BOYS WHO MAKE THE NOISE ON 16TH AVENUEThe title of this musing is a reference to a line in a country song by our friend, Thom Schuyler, who wrote “16th Avenue,” a hit for Lacy...
Melanie HowardMar 3, 20201 minHARLAN HOWARD ANNIVERSARYToday, March 3, 2020 is the anniversary of the death of Harlan Howard. An eighteen year void. Nearly two decades of longing. Longing to...
Melanie HowardFeb 26, 20202 minA LIFETIME OF FRIENDSHarlan Howard was a great friend to many. He loved hanging round songwriters but also liked singers and bartenders - anyone who would sit...
Melanie HowardFeb 11, 20201 min“LIFE TURNED HER THAT WAY”“Life Turned Her That Way” was the first of many #1 records I got to experience with Harlan Howard. It was in the latter part of 1987 and...
Melanie HowardJan 30, 20202 minHARLAN PERRY HOWARDHarlan Perry Howard may not be a household name, but I bet you know some of his songs. Being an introvert, Harlan didn’t relish the...
Melanie HowardAug 21, 20192 minHARLAN AND FRIENDS UNROCK THE HARD ROCKDuring the 1990’s, I had the pleasure of serving on the board of a school in Nashville that I dearly love, W.O. Smith Music School...
Melanie HowardJul 18, 20193 minHarlan Howard Birthday Bash Usually on the Tuesday closest to September 8th, a large stage was erected in the parking lot of BMI, bars were set up and a huge...
Melanie HowardJun 25, 20193 minFAMILY, FRIENDS AND FISHINGWhen Harlan Howard moved from California to Nashville in June 1960, he hit the ground running. Fresh from shucking his blue collar,...
Melanie HowardJun 14, 20192 minHARLAN HOWARD SONGS, INC.In 1989 shortly after Harlan and I married, we started a publishing company and appropriately named it, Harlan Howard Songs. During that...
Melanie HowardJun 11, 20193 min“BLAME IT ON YOUR HEART”The year was 1992, early summer, and Harlan Howard had an appointment to write with Kostas at Shoney’s Inn on Demonbruen. After forty...
Melanie HowardJun 5, 20192 minTIGER BY THE TAILHarlan Howard and Buck Owens were “starvation buddies” in the early 1950’s. Harlan had moved from Michigan to California where there was...
Melanie HowardMay 8, 20193 minDARRELL BARTON…WHO THE HECK IS DARRELL BARTON?Most of my stories are about Harlan Howard, and though Harlan is involved in this story; he is not the central figure. In the early...
Melanie HowardMay 3, 20192 minHE CALLED ME BABYMelanie Smith-Howard/Candi Staton Well he did. Harlan sometimes called me child bride, but most days he referred to me as Baby. When we...
Melanie HowardApr 30, 20193 min “BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LOVE” Harlan Howard spent his adult life as a professional songwriter and was proud to be one. He often referred to his songs as his children....
Melanie HowardApr 3, 20194 minTHE TIES THAT UNBINDHarlan’s early years were much like a dandelion on a windy, spring day. He was a tender weed with a strong root system. Harlan was that...
Melanie HowardMar 6, 20192 min“THE CHOKIN’ KIND”I love the surprise of finding a classic Harlan Howard song that is reimagined or unfamiliar to me. I am most impressed when artists take...
Melanie HowardFeb 12, 20192 minThe Writing of “I Fall To Pieces”Harlan Howard wrote two paragraphs in July 1999 about co-writing the iconic song “I Fall To Pieces” with Hank Cochran. Harlan moved to...
Melanie HowardFeb 6, 20195 minLori McKennaIn the spring of 2004, I was working with the gifted singer songwriter, Mary Gauthier. She was at my office telling me about a fellow...