Brittany Howard (born October 2, 1988) is an American musician, best known as lead vocalist and guitarist of American rock bands Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch.
Howard was born in Athens, Alabama to a white mother and an African American father. She began playing the guitar at age 13, and later attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell. She worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes.
Brittany Howard is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the American rock band Alabama Shakes. The band formed under the name “The Shakes” when Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell began playing covers and original songs together with drummer Steve Johnson. Guitarist Heath Fogg later rounded out the lineup, and the band began playing shows at bars in Alabama and recording their debut album, Boys & Girls. They went on to sign a record deal with ATO Records, and released Boys & Girls in 2012 to critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations.
In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and received favorable reviews from the music press. The band went on to perform on multiple late night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Howard was featured in the musical medley alongside Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, Ben Folds, and more in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of “Get Back” with Paul McCartney. Howard also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy’s Mark Twain Prize. In 2015, Howard was named the recipient of Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse” Award.
Howard is also the lead singer of the rock band Thunderbitch, formed in Nashville in 2012 with members of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO Records labelmates Fly Golden Eagle. The band surprise-released a self-titled album in September 2015. The band was on a world wide tour last year to promote their sophomore album.