Photo Courtesy of Volora Howell East Orange resident Volora Howell will be performing in Independence Park on Aug. 6.
Orange resident Volora Howell will be performing in Independence Park on Aug. 6.
Volora Howell discovered she could sing at the age of 9, belting out “People” by Barbra Streisand, at a cousin’s house.
“They were shocked I was able to hit those notes naturally. I had a gift,” said Howell, who has been living in Orange the past 37 years.
Growing up in Newark, she began singing at the Newark Boys Club at age 9.
“I wasn’t afraid,” she said.
Howell also played cello and received an award for playing. But being tiny and carrying around a large instrument was no fun.
“It was easier to sing,” she said. “I love singing.”
Her career took her all over the world—Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenda. Now, she’s come full circle, performing Tuesday, Aug. 13, as part of the Essex County Free Summer Music Concert Series at Independence Park, in Newark, at 7 p.m. She will perform with her band that she’s been with for more than 20 years.
Sometimes compared to Phyllis Hyman, Howell has a five-octave range.
She graduated from Arts High School, which produced great talents like Sarah Vaughn, Savion Glover, Wayne Shorter, and Tony-award winner Melba Moore. There she studied classical music, gospel, voice, and music theory for four years. Then she went on to earn a B.S. in journalism from Suffolk University and a masters from New England Conservatory of Music.
Howell worked as a jazz journalist for WILD Boston Radio; a jazz editor for Harlem Times, as a freelance reporter for NBC Affiliate Boston WBZ-TV; and as associate producer for Black News Boston, a CBS affiliate.
According to Howell, being a jazz singer wasn’t a hard field to break into.
“I was always able to get gigs,” she said. “I’m an artist, I don’t do weddings. I have my own style. I’m not trying to copy Whitney Houston. I don’t want to be that. I’m better suited for the jazz genre. You don’t have to be thin. It’s not about the visuals, it’s about the music. A totally different genre from the pop industry. It’s not about hit records. It’s never too late in jazz. In pop, you have a clock. You have people who have done everything in the world to stay on top of their game. My family was first. Being able to do cultural events within the county, supper clubs…that’s the career I had. I prefer to pick.”
Howell also had her own show, “The Volora Show,” which was on Manhattan cable for three years. She had legendary guests in the classic soul, R&B, and jazz artist genres.
But throughout her career, Howell said her most rewarding experience was singing for the royal family in Moracco; and when she toured Italy as part of a gospel choir.
Howell is inspired by Sarah Vaughn. Nancy Wilson, Diane Reeves, and Phyllis Hyman. If anyone aspires to follow her path, she advises, “Sing as much as you can. I paid my dues. I remember singing the National Anthem in Newark, in a boxing ring.”
The next goal for Howell is to have her own venue—a gallery—where she could hold music events, possibly in Martha’s Vineyard.
When she’s not working, Howell enjoys singing, reading books, and writing.
“I plan on writing a children’s book,” she said.
She’s also very involved with activism in her community.
“It’s not fun, but it’s something you have to do,” she said.
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