Andy Howard, 40, Fort Myers musician; second Florida musician by that name to die within past 8 months
Shrike
40-year-old entertainer was a man of many talents
By Mark Krzos
Originally posted on June 23, 2006
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/NEWS01/60623032/1075
Andrew Howard, a longtime downtown Fort Myers personality and
musician, has died after a long battle with cancer.
The 40-year-old Fort Myers resident passed away at Southwest
Florida Regional Medical Center on Thursday with his family and
friends by his side.
“The last few weeks came as a shock,” Chris Reublin said. “He had
been through this before .... Then his mom called and said we
should get down there. As awful as it was, it was also beautiful.
He had his family there and about 20 of his friends, holding his
hand, holding his leg, a piece of his hair. There was a lot of
love in that room.”
“He was so important to so many people,” Reublin said. “It’s like
it’s a different world today.”
For years, Howard was a fixture in downtown Fort Myers’
entertainment scene where he played drums and toured with The
Unknown, later called Blackfish.
“We were like brothers,” said Reublin. “From the time I was 14
until the time I was 32, I was wih him for 24 hours a day, on
tour with the band.”
Friends and family will gather to celebrate Howard’s life on
Sunday, July 2. The time and location have yet to be announced.
Howard also was a graphic designer. He also organized and hosted
benefit events and wrote a humor column for Gulf and Main
magazine and the now-defunct Route 41. The Bishop Verot graduate
also hosted the cable television program "The Andy Howard Show."
Howard was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia more than
two years ago.
Howard was born Nov. 23, 1965 in Tampa, the youngest child of
Mary C. Moran of Naples and Hall C. “Sonny” Howard of Blowing
Rock, N.C.
He attended Western Carolina University after graduating from
Bishop Verot in 1984.
Survivors include his mother; father; sister Laura DePree of
Atlanta; brother Alan Howard of Covington, Ga.; sister Ashley
Menser of Charlotte, N.C.; nieces Taylor Howard, Frances and
Janine DePree; and nephews Alex, A.J. and Steve Howard. Other
survivors include Cindy and Kenneth Rager and Chloe and Lyndsey
Rager.
Memorials in Howard’s name should be directed to Voices for Kids
of Southwest Florida, Inc., 13180 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 237,
Fort Myers, FL, 33903
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From: debd...@comcast.net
Newsgroups: alt.obituaries
Subject: Andy Howard, Ex-Twisted Method guitarist, 23
Date: 18 Sep 2005 00:49:34 -0700
Ex-Twisted Method guitarist dies
By STAFF REPORT
Published by news-press.com on September 18, 2005
Andy Howard, 23, former guitarist of the popular Cape Coral
punk-rock band Twisted Method, died Friday in his home.
Cape Coral police confirmed the death but could not confirm the
cause.
Gaye Levine, former manager of the now-defunct rock club Club
Neptune's, was in shock when she heard the rumors Saturday afternoon.
"He was a sweetheart," Levine said. "He was the quiet one, real
shy. I'm stunned."
Levine watched Howard and his mates in Twisted Method grow from a
garage band into a national touring act. They played here before
they were signed and when no one knew who they were.
And they played here after they were signed to a place that was
jampacked with kids.
"This makes me sick," Levine said. "It doesn't feel good."
Howard quit Twisted Method earlier this year to spend more time
with his young twin girls. Ben Goins, the drummer, left the band
at the same time to devote more time to his church.
Andy Howard, the drummer from Blackfish and The Unknown, was
often confused with the younger Howard.
"Everyone thinks I died. I didn't know what the story was. It's
just really sad," said Howard, a big fan of Twisted Method.
"He was a really sweet kid. And he wrote a bunch of their early
songs," Howard continued. "It's sad because he quits the band and
then dies. There are so many of those stories in rock. He was a
good kid and a real big talent."
Howard added that he will try to put together a benefit concert
in honor of the Twisted Method guitarist.
Charlie Pennachio, the manager of Twisted Method, said that
Howard's former bandmates were shocked. "Nobody's doing good," he
said. "We're all a mess right now. I don't know what to say."
