This career move would lead to his becoming a successful film music composer. Īfter briefly touring with Crosby, Stills and Nash, he took an opportunity brought to him by his manager to write a film score for a small-time movie. In 1983, Howard was co-producer, musician (keyboards), and orchestrator of Riccardo Cocciante's album Sincerità. A year later, he released the live album James Newton Howard and Friends, which featured Toto's David Paich (keyboards), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Jeff Porcaro (drums), and Joe Porcaro (percussion). In 1982, Howard was featured on Toto IV as the strings conductor and orchestrator for "I Won't Hold You Back", "Afraid of Love", and "Lovers in the Night". Howard also arranged strings for several of John's songs during this period including the hits " Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and " Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", and played additional keyboards and synthesizers on studio albums including Rock of the Westies (1975), Blue Moves (1976), 21 at 33 (1980), and The Fox (1981). He was part of the band that played Central Park, New York, on September 13, 1980. He joined John's band and toured with them as keyboardist during the late 70s and early 80s. In the early 70s, he described himself as being "dirt poor", until his big break in 1975 when his manager got him an audition with Elton John.
He then worked for a couple of years as a session musician with artists including Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. Members of Mama Lion also formed the band Heavy Cruiser with Merryweather now on lead vocals, recording two albums whose genre was closer to hard rock, bit also displayed psychedelic and progressive influences.
Mama Lion recorded two full-length albums. The band was led by Neil Merryweather (bass, backing vocals) and featured lead singer Lynn Carey, Coffi Hall on drums, and Rick Gaxiola on guitar.
He then attended the University of Southern California, studying at the School of Music as a piano performance major, but dropped out after 6 weeks because "He wanted to do other things than practicing the piano." Īfter Howard left college, he joined a short-lived rock band called Mama Lion. He went on to attend the Thacher School in Ojai, California and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California with Reginald Stewart and Leon Fleischer. Howard began studying music as a child, taking classical piano lessons at the age of four. He is from a musical family his grandmother was the Pittsburgh Symphony's concertmaster and violinist during the 1930s and '40s.
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