Omar & The Howlers

Omar & The Howlers are an American blues rock group formed in 1973 and associated with Hattiesburg. The band is led by Omar Kent Dykes, who also performs under the name Omar and is a guitarist and baritone vocalist. Other members listed are Steve Kilmer, with later touring line-ups also including bassist Barry Bihm and drummer Jon Hahn.

Origins and early development

Dykes comes from McComb, Mississippi, and starts playing guitar at seven. By 12 he is spending time in juke joints, and by 13 he has joined his first band. In those early years he plays rough, hard-edged music before joining a party band called the Howlers when he is 20. That group plays a loose mix of R&B, rock and roll, polka and western swing, with theatrical stage ideas and jokey skits. The name Omar & The Howlers becomes the permanent band name after the group relocates to Austin in 1976 and most of the other musicians return to Mississippi and Arkansas.

Austin years and recordings

In Austin, Dykes develops the band into a blues outfit rooted in the city’s club scene. Their early releases include Big Leg Beat in 1980 and I Told You So in 1984. The latter helps establish them locally and leads to consecutive Austin band-of-the-year awards in 1985 and 1986. In 1987 the band signs with Columbia Records and releases Hard Times in the Land of Plenty, which sells more than 500,000 copies, followed by Wall of Pride in 1988. Across the years that follow, the group records a further dozen albums, generally built around Dykes’ guitar and distinctive baritone voice.

Style and collaborators

The band’s sound is rooted in blues, blues rock and related electric Texas styles, with a gritty, rowdy feel. Dykes’ singing is often compared to Howlin’ Wolf, and the band’s playing is associated with the sort of hard-edged blues made famous by figures such as Howlin’ Wolf and Hound Dog Taylor. For the Ruf Records album Boogie Man, Dykes works in Austin with a wide set of collaborators, including Ray Wylie Hubbard, Darden Smith, Alejandro Escovedo and Stephen Bruton. The sessions also feature Chris Duarte, Jon Dee Graham, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, George Rains, Terry Bozzio and Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne. Ten of the album’s eleven tracks are co-writes.

Recognition

Omar & The Howlers earn an international following, several awards and induction into the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame. Dykes says he continues to perform heavily on the road, with a schedule of around 150 to 160 shows a year.