Howie Klein Tribute
Bill Bentley, who is a close friend of my friend Howie Klein, confirmed that Howie had passed
away. I was gutted. I was honored when Howie asked me to write a passage for his memoir. I loved him so much when we met. I was intimidated by him, but we grew to respect each other,
I will always cherish our friendship.
Ginger Coyote
I knew something was off when we hadn’t seen anything for some months from his blogs. Howie Klein was a man of principle. Even after he went to work for big record labels, he didn’t lose where he came from.
Early on, he showed his passion for music and an inventive spirit when he booked major bands and artists that, while a student, would play at Stonybrook University, like Hendrix, The Who, Jackson Browne, and more, which was a sign of that passion and an independent spirit.
I first heard him in mid 70’s as a DJ playing records that you couldn’t get to hear anywhere on KUSF, a college station that gave him a slot before it became a thing that it became. Shortly afterward, bands found college radio the only place to get heard, as in The Replacements’ song Left of the Dial, and that became more than a trend. Howie was there at ground level as he remained throughout.
Shortly after, again, another marker of Howie’s passion, he cofounded 415 Records. 415
was not only the area code for San Francisco and, at the time, for the larger Bay Area, but also the police code for Disturbing the Peace. This small local label was where my little band VKTMS and others like The Nuns (much to Bill Graham’s displeasure), Translator, Romeo Void, and Scott Ryser’s pioneering band The Units found a home.
Howie didn’t stop there. He promoted these local bands to major labels and promoters, helping them along with their careers, knowing that 415 could only do so much. He was also a mentor to us in other ways. Coming to our shows, getting gigs, and even decades later, still counseling us. Or doing little things like getting Lou and me tickets to see U2 before they became big and were playing a local club.
He ended his career as an executive with major labels when he saw the changes shifting away from nurturing artists towards more commercial directions. And when he saw how forces were waging censorship wars against artists and individuals singing, speaking, and writing topics that cut against certain “morals,” he stood strong and defended them for us.
Continuing on that path in recent years, Howie’s “Down With Tyranny” blog was essential progressive reading on many topics. Mostly on political trends heading towards darkness, but also about traveling and his personal battles and temporal victories against cancer. These were not only very personal to him but were written in a manner I related to deeply. Very grateful for those pure writings alone, Howie.
Many thanks for everything you did, Howie. Intrepid traveler in real global and symbolic ways, and(!) a warrior for things that changed many of our lives.
Bill Bentley
On Dec. 24, the much-loved Howie Klein passed away after a long battle with cancer at 77. He was a champion of punk rock and new wave music, interviewing visiting and local bands, including the Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, and Devo. His involvement with the emerging genre led Klein to co-found the indie record label 415 Records, where he signed bands like Translator, Romeo Void, and Wire Train. He was the President of Reprise Records from 1989 to 2001. He will be greatly missed by all.
John Binkov, Guitarist for The VKTMS