Boy Howdy
| Company type | Group or band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Jeffrey Steele, Hugh Wright, Cary Park, Larry Park |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Number of employees | 4 (band members) |
Boy Howdy was a country music group originating from Los Angeles, California in 1990. The lineup consisted of lead vocalist and bassist Jeffrey Steele, drummer Hugh Wright, and siblings Cary Park (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Larry Park (guitar, fiddle, vocals). Their discography between 1992 and 1995 includes two full-length albums—Welcome to Howdywood (1992) and Born That Way (1995)—alongside the 1994 EP She'd Give Anything, all released through Curb Records. The band achieved seven entries on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, featuring Top Five hits such as "She'd Give Anything" and "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore." After their split in 1996, Steele embarked on a solo path and focused on songwriting.
History
Formed in Los Angeles in 1990, Boy Howdy came together when lead singer Jeffrey Steele—who had experience as a solo artist and songwriter—met brothers Larry and Cary Park, sons of bluegrass musician Ray Park, during a club performance. Shortly thereafter, drummer Hugh Wright joined the ensemble.
The band worked with producer James Stroud to create demo recordings. In 1991, they independently released a rendition of the Civil War-era tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" amid the Gulf War, which garnered attention from Nashville's Curb Records, leading to their signing in 1992. Their debut album Welcome to Howdywood yielded two charting singles: "Our Love Was Meant to Be," which reached No. 43, and "A Cowboy's Born with a Broken Heart," peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard country charts. The album also included a cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me."
On May 30, 1992, drummer Hugh Wright was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a five-month coma. After regaining consciousness, he underwent rehabilitation to relearn walking and drumming but lost his singing ability; he officially rejoined Boy Howdy on July 1, 1993.
Following Wright’s return, the band released "She'd Give Anything," which became their first Top Five hit by climbing to No. 4 on the Billboard country charts. Its music video reached number one on both Country Music Television and The Nashville Network. This song was featured on an EP containing four new tracks plus a re-release of "A Cowboy's Born with a Broken Heart." Another single from this EP, "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore," attained No. 2—the highest position for any of their singles. Their third album, Born That Way, experienced modest success; its lead single "True to His Word" peaked at No. 23 while subsequent singles did not break into the Top 40.
In 1994, Boy Howdy earned a nomination for Top New Vocal Group at the Academy of Country Music Awards but was ultimately bested by the Gibson/Miller Band.
Disbanding
By February 1996, roughly one year after releasing Born That Way, the members announced that Boy Howdy would be "on hold" without plans for immediate collaboration; by August of that year, they had officially disbanded. Jeffrey Steele moved to Nashville, Tennessee to continue his solo career. Although he recorded an unreleased album for Curb Records, he shifted his focus towards songwriting, creating singles for artists such as Kevin Sharp, Diamond Rio, and LeAnn Rimes. Steele also charted with the No. 33 single "Something in the Water" in 2001 under Monument Records and is primarily recognized for his songwriting contributions alongside several self-released albums.
Hugh Wright, drummer and founding member born December 18, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa, passed away from natural causes on September 25, 2015, at age 63.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| Welcome to Howdywood |
|
— |
| Born That Way |
|
73 |
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts | ||
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Details | Highest Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country |
US |
US Heatseekers | ||
| She'd Give Anything |
|
19 | 103 | 5 |
Singles
| Year | Single Title | Peak Chart Positions | From Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1992 | "Our Love Was Meant to Be" | 43 | 87 | Welcome to Howdywood |
| "Thanks for the Ride" | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "A Cowboy's Born with a Broken Heart" | 12 | 16 | |
| "She'd Give Anything" | 4 | 4 | She'd Give Anything | |
| 1994 | "They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore" | 2 | 3 | |
| "True to His Word" | 23 | 24 | Born That Way | |
| 1995 | "Bigger Fish to Fry" | 57 | 70 | |
| "She Can't Love You" | 48 | 93 | ||
| "Field of Dreams" | — | 91 | ||
| "—" indicates singles that failed to chart | ||||
Music videos
| Year | Video Title | Director Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Our Love Was Meant to Be" | Richard Jernigan |
| "Thanks for the Ride" | ||
| 1993 | "A Cowboy's Born with a Broken Heart" | Sara Nichols |
| "She'd Give Anything" | ||
| 1994 | "True to His Word" | |
| 1995 | "She Can't Love You" | D. J. Webster |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awarding Body | Category | Nominee or Work Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Vocal Group or Duet | Boy Howdy | Template:Nom |