R&B singer Hewett stays true to his Ohio roots
For R&B singer Howard Hewett, success is all about being true to a personal vision and resisting the urge of the world to tinker the performer into vanilla sameness.
"I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and it was all about music. Akron was the rubber capital of the world, and everybody either worked in rubber or in music. It was a great place to grow up," said Hewett from his home in Los Angeles, the day after returning from performing in Huntsville, Ala.
"I've been singing professionally since I was 10. I had a lot of influences, like Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. But when I was 15 or 16, I was starting to realize that the thing that made them unique was that nobody else sounded like them. I tried to develop my own style, like the way I use the natural to falsetto transitions," he said.
Hewett said he was only doing what everyone in the Akron area was doing in the '60s, trying to create a unique style that was immediately recognizable.
"Back in the day, that's what it was all about. When you listened, there was no mistaking (performers). People wanted to be unique, not cookie-cutter bands. Now you can listen to the radio and you don't know who's who. Everybody sounds the same," Hewett said, adding that he no longer follows Grammy awards and has no idea who won the R&B award this year.
"A friend of mine says that 'R&B' stands for 'replaced by' everything else," Hewett joked, but he prefers to stay with his roots.
"I think that type of tactic as far as a career is concerned is the death of a career, to try to develop yourself in a commercial market (that is always changing). Commercial radio and Howard Hewett are not bedfellows now, but there was a time that I was. I figured out that when you (change to be commercial) you lose yourself. Ten or fifteen years ago, rap was huge and some people said 'You have to put a rapper in your thing.' No! Your base will support you, and you won't be a sell-out. I have a fantastic fan base, and there's been too much put into that foundation. I make a good living, a fantastic living, thank God. You need to be who you are," Hewett said.
The pressure to bow to popular taste is particularly strong for black performers, according to Hewett.
"Nobody is telling the Rolling Stones that they have to put a rapper in there, nobody is telling Sting that, so why does that have to be a concern for R&B artists? An artist can chase himself right into a black hole," Hewett said.
And there is scant reason for Hewett to bow to popular tastes. Rolling Stone magazine has anointed him the best romantic R&B singer since Marvin Gaye, and he has sold over 10 million records to date in addition to his busy touring schedule
"I do between 100 and 120 shows a year. I'm a working musician and I love it. There was a point when I wasn't doing anything but recording, but it started to drive me crazy. When you do a record, you write it, produce it and put it out there and hope it catches on, but personal appearances give you instant gratification. The road is my passion.
Hewett said he'll be happy to return to Stroudsburg, a venue that has always treated him well.
"I've done shows a couple times with Maurice (Watts) up there, and every time the turn-out has been fantastic. I always enjoyed myself, and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a good time, going to be a lot of fun," he said.
WHAT: Howard Hewett, Blue Magic, Ray Goodman and Brown HOSTED BY: "The Voice" Maurice Watts. WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. WHERE: Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg COST: $39.95, general admission INFO: 570-420-2808 WEBSITE: shermantheater.com