BILL " HOWL-N-MADD " PERRY

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Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry is a music veteran and he's been on the scene for 50 years. His career spans across many musical genres, but he's at home with the blues.

Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry and Shy Perry have travelled extensively as a duet and full band for years. They were recently one of the main musical acts on the European Blues Cruise 2016 that sailed on the Mediterranean Sea from Marseille, France to Naples, Rome, and Bastia, Italy. Bill and Shy performed in Marseille and had 5 shows on the ship Croisieres De France.

Bill and Shy were on a month long tour where they travelled to Phoenix, AZ and performed at The Rhythm Room, Haywood/Russell Festival in Haywood, CA, and numerous clubs in New Mexico and Colorado.

"Perry's guitar gives off a sharp hollow metallic ring like a National on steroids as he brings up all the classic stories of blues, giving each of them a new life and sense of reality." (Back To The Crossroads)

-Big City Rhythm and Blues

Howl-N-Madd and Shy Perry were the headline act for "An Evening With The Blues" festival in Bolzano, Italy. They performed to sold out shows and had rave reviews on many radio, newspaper, and television stations like RAI.

Bill HowlNMadd Perry  History

Billy Joe Perry (better known as) Howl-N-Madd was born August 20th, 1947 in Tula, MS. Howl-N-Madd's slave ancestors lived in the same shack where he was born. His mother always worked and she carried him on her cotton sack while she picked cotton in the fields long before he could walk. He worked in those same fields picking and chopping cotton. His father was a sharecropper and pulp wood hauler. But his dad's real job was moonshining. Making moonshine was a tradition in Howl-N-Madd's family. His dad, grandfather, and great grandfather made whiskey. That's how Howl-N-Madd got the first guitar he ever owned. His dad won it in a crap game from a man named Ned Bowles, the man who inspired him to play guitar. He never learned how to read music, but did learn how to follow chord charts.

Howl-N-Madd's family moved up north to Chicago and that's where he really began to cut his teeth in music. At only 14 years old, he got the opportunity to play and record with gospel greats like the Clefs Of Calvary and The Salem Travelers. Howl-N-Madd recorded "Keep On Marching" with the Clefs of Calvary (HOB Records 268) and The Salem Travelers-“Wait On The Lord” with Chess Records. The Salem Travelers played at The Apollo Theatre for 12 days. He worked with Mildred Clark and the Melodyaires on ABC Records (Changing The World), Rev. Columbus Mann, Rev Earnest Franklin, The Violenaires, and Albertina Walker, annd  ("I'm Leaving The Choice To You" and "It Sure Is Good"- Jewel Paula Records).

Little Milton Campbell gave Howl-N-Madd his first opportunity to sing and play professionally in a blues band. He's had an extremely impressive career working with musicians like Johnnie Taylor, Little Johnnie Taylor, Freddie King, Cash McCall, and T-Bone Walker to name a few.

Howl-N-Madd went by the name Billy Easton in the 1960s and had a song that got major airplay called “I Was A Fool” with Dispo. He was one of the first people to be on the long running TV show Soul Train as Billy Easton. He led his own bands like Bill Perry and Rammit with Fantasy Records.

 

                                                                                    

After a few years away from music while living in California, Howl-N-Madd decided to go back to his roots. He and his family moved to Mississippi where he joined a group called The Relaxations. He inspired his kids to play music and started a family band called The Perrys'. Howl-N-Madd was on lead guitar, his son Bill was on lead keys, his daughter Sharo played bass keyboard, and a drummer. The Perrys performed for 5 months in Hong Kong, China and 3 months in Jakarta, Indonesia. They toured across America and played many festivals and tours.

​Bill then form The Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry band and also he and his daughter Shy Perry became one of the most popular Duo groups performing in clubs and festivals nationally and internationally. 

​Howl-N-Madd is noted on 3 Mississippi Blues Markers. The markers are on the Oxford Square, in front of the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, and Po' Monkey's located in Merigold, MS. He is also the subject of an exhibit at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. He was a music teacher at the Delta Blues Museum for 5 years and he helped educate many young children about the blues.