“He always had a smile on his face. He didn’t bring his stuff on stage so I didn’t know what else was going on,” said the blues pianist. Arthur Miliazzais one of many young blues musicians Howard mentored during his 50-year musical career.

Rudy Barajas, who played drums in the George Howard Band for 10 years, said, “He was always lively and very playful.

Even Howard’s lifelong best friend, Sharon Singh, didn’t know that the cancer Howard was quietly battling was irreversible.

“It was George. He was in pain and I didn’t want you to suffer,” Singh said days after Howard died in hospice care on Friday, April 14 at the age of 72. .

Howard’s death sent shockwaves through the Tucson music community, with dozens expressing their condolences on Facebook.

“George Howard was a force of nature in our music scene,” the singer wrote Crystal Stark. “…he was always reaching out to the musical heartbeat of our city.”

“I can’t say enough good things about the contribution George has made to each one of us in the Tucson music community,” said the blues singer/fiddler. Heather Hardy “But to me, he was mostly a friend…a deeply respected companion….Always positive. Always doing more and including more people in what he did.” I’m looking for a , and I’m just a nice person.”

“I think we talked a few weeks ago. I think I said, man, I love you,” said the Tucson rock drummer. Bruce Halper Added to social media condolence pages. “This is very sudden and sad….heartbroken for all of us.”

Howard’s death comes nearly three months after Tucson lost powerful blues vocalist Anna Waugh.

Howard was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and moved with his parents and two sisters to the Sierra Vista in 1954 when he was three years old. He used to play drums in elementary school and became friends with Shin, the only girl in the percussion club.

While attending Buena High School, Howard played sports and became obsessed with photography.

After graduating, I moved to Tucson, where I studied finance and business at Pima Community College, earned an associate’s degree, and started working in banking. A few years later he switched gears and founded Right Eye Photography. He started doing freelance work for magazines and other publications, photographing weddings and community events.

He also started forming bands, starting with the Statesboro Blues Band playing in Chicago’s old bar, Terry & Zekes, in the early 1980s, with some funky Tucson Hall on the wall. to blues and funk.

Throughout his 50-year career, Howard has worked with some of the country’s biggest stars, including John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, James Brown, Bobby Keys of the Rolling Stones, Johnny Lang, Albert Collins and Willie Nelson.

When he wasn’t on stage, when he saw Howard playing blues piano in the style of New Orleans bluesman Henry “Roy” Byrd, best known as Professor Longhair, he He mentored young artists, including Miliazza, who was 12 years old.

Milliazza, who has lived in New York since 2010, recalled Howard telling him he had never heard anyone play in such a style in Tucson. It won a public gig and opened for Soba Zydeco at O’Malley’s.

“I learned everything from him,” said Miliazza, who was in the Roadhouse Hounds band while Howard was in college and worked with him as a piano and drums duo. to be around. I learned the importance of charisma. ”

In 2007, Howard and Susan French, Howard’s wife of Dr. Mojo and a member of the Zydeco Cannibals Band, founded a non-profit organization. Tucson Musicians MuseumInitially, it was an outlet to showcase Howard’s vast collection of band photographs documenting the Tucson music scene. But from the beginning, it’s been Howard’s way to recognize Tucson musicians and support the next generation through the school’s music programs and mentoring young musicians.

Howard also launched the Tucson Musician’s Hall of Fame to honor musicians who have been on the Tucson music scene for at least 25 years. So far he has 171 hires.

“I think museums were very important to him,” French said. “We wanted to celebrate, preserve and perpetuate Tucson’s unique musical heritage, and that’s what we did.”

“He cared about the music community,” said David Sloot, music director of Hotel Congress, who has booked Howard’s band dozens of times over the years. “He was always interested in getting music to schools. Not only was he a great musician and a nice guy, but he was bringing music back to the communities that supported him. That was his ultimate legacy.” .”

Singh recalled a recent conversation he had with Howard after a show at the Tucson Omni Resort. He told her he was going to miss her performance. At the time, she was unaware of his health status.

“I really miss entertaining,” she recalled him saying. “I really miss singing.”

“It’s a terrible loss,” Singh said. “He brought a lot of charisma and energy to the world.”

Blankenship notes that Howard’s survivors include Sierra Vista’s sister, Allyn McFolds, and ten nieces and nephews, nearly fifty great and great-great-great nieces and nephews, and Sierra We are planning to hold a private service at Vista.

Hotel Congress, the Tucson Musicians Museum, and the Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation are teaming up for a celebration of life on May 21 at 4:00 PM at the Hotel Congress Plaza.