Howard Bond

Howard was born and brought up in the Lancashire coastal town of Fleetwood. Like many of his contemporaries, he began playing guitar in the early 1960s having been inspired by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and a plethora of other 'beat groups'. By the age of 16 he was playing in his first serious band, appearing at local church hall dances and social events.  His introduction to the folk scene came about in 1969 when he attended a club in Ilford, Essex and witnessed an exhilirating performance by Noel Murphy and Shaggis (aka Davy Johnstone, later to become Elton John's musical director). Fired with enthusiasm, on returning to Fleetwood he teamed up with Dave Walters (forming the group 'Bonded Boots') and all but founded Fleetwood Folk Club at the Queen's Hotel. The club very soon flourished, attracting large weekly audiences, and with it so did the 'Boots' reputation. They developed a strong local following with their distinctive harmonies and innovative arrangements of both contemporary and traditional songs. With the addition of a third member, Richard Boswell, Bonded Boots eventually moved to London. They quickly became established playing two resident spots at The Peelers and Bounds Green folk clubs. This exposure soon attracted guest bookings in their own right all over London and the South East. A promising period of success saw them make an appearance on BBC radio and also record two tracks for a compilation LP (remember those?!) produced by the Shackleford Folk Club. This album is now a rare collector's item, mainly because it is also June Tabor's first recorded work. By the mid 1970s the 'Boots' had split-up and Howard was now forging a career as singer/songwriter. He spent a period travelling round Western Europe gaining valuable experience and writing a host of songs. On returning to England, he eventually recorded some of them on the album 'Love Moves'. Living in Manchester at this time, he played extensively around the north of England, making several appearances on Radio Piccadilly. Following his marriage he moved to Belgium at the end of the decade. Six years later he was back in England and now music took second place to studying for a degree in Psychology and Sociology, and a subsequent career in teaching. During this period he played semi-professionally in bands of many different musical hues - from blues to cabaret to old-time dancing! It's during the last few years, however, that Howard has come full circle and re-discovered his abiding passion for the music of these islands, which is now continuing to inspire his revitalised song-writing. He is producing a new cd of songs every year and this looks likely to continue!