Austin Records Artist Omar and the Howlers

Omar and the Howlers

Omar and the Howlers came to Austin from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Kent "Omar" Dykes grew up in McComb, Mississippi - Bo Diddley's hometown. He also listened to his mom's records, from Roy Acuff to Little Richard to Elvis Presley. He picked up his first guitar at age 12, started playing professionally at 15 and has been ripping it up ever since.

When the band arrived in Austin, their career hopes were strengthened from previous packed shows at Antone's Home of the Blues. They soon learned one of the reasons Austin is the "Live Music Capitol of the World" is because Austin has the best music audiences.

Omar was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame after "Border Girl" won Song of the Year and the band won Best Blues Band in Austin for two years in a row - beating out Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. There was no question Omar and the Howlers belonged in Austin and Austin belonged in their music.

Omar and the Howlers joined Austin Records to record I Told You So, with engineering by Richard Mullen, who had worked with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Christopher Cross. Billboard recommended the album, referring to the band as, "Texas blues and rock with guts. Leader Omar Dykes is a hard-driving rhythm player in the best tradition of the Lone Star State." Omar and the Howlers are a Texas blues band through and through. Their rockabilly/blues style makes I Told You So almost timeless as a study in early influence Texas Blues.

For a sample track from I Told You So, click below.