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Howard's original Friars links go back to 1973 as the young keyboard
player in local band Warrior. Fast forward to 1982, this local artiste
played Friars as one of the more interesting and original local acts.
Within one year, Howard was headlining Friars and receiving a silver
disc for the highly successful debut single 'New Song'. Howard made two
further quickly sold appearances in 1984 on the back of the Number One
Human's Lib album. From these foundations, Howard pushed on, guided by
Friars promoter David Stopps, and by 1985 with two huge albums and
several hit singles behind him, was playing at the nation's biggest
arenas such as Wembley and the NEC. Howard has continued to record and
tour and his 25th anniversary concert in 2008 at London's prestigious
Indigo2 sold out with no advertising or promotion, a huge testament to a
solid and dedicated fanbase. The webmaster was delighted and honoured to
present the Friars Heroes Award to Howard at Wembley Arena in
2009 and advising how deserved this award was. Not only was this
a local boy made good, Howard's Friars appearances were always
hugely enjoyable occasions. I have great memories of seeing
Howard for the first time in 1982 and I still am in 2009!
Howard Jones:
It is a great pleasure and honour to receive the Friars Heroes award.
Friars played a crucial role in my music education as an audience member
as a teenager, and I remember many times hitch hiking and inevitably
walking to Friars gigs from Stokenchurch! Friars became the holy grail of gigs when I was
in my first band
Warrior, and then a great launch pad when things took off in the early 80's. Friars
is a defining part of my musical history.
Howard Jones
accepting the Friars Heroes Award, Wembley,
May 2009:
Picture: Mike O'Connor
Howard's history at Friars
 
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