# Mike Howe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Howe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Howe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Howe > Source revision: 1354489764 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American heavy metal singer (1965–2021)}} {{about||the New Zealand rugby union player|Mike Howe (rugby union)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Mike Howe | image = Metal Church- Wacken Open Air 2016-AL9064.jpg | caption = Howe with [Metal Church](/source/Metal_Church) at
[Wacken Open Air](/source/Wacken_Open_Air) 2016 | birth_name = | birth_date = August 21, 1965 | birth_place = [Taylor, Michigan](/source/Taylor%2C_Michigan), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|7|26|1965|8|21}} | death_place = [Eureka, California](/source/Eureka%2C_California), U.S. | origin = | genre = {{flatlist| * [Heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) * [thrash metal](/source/thrash_metal) * [power metal](/source/power_metal) * [speed metal](/source/speed_metal) }} | occupation = Singer | years_active = {{flatlist| * 1986–1997 * 2015–2021 }} | past_member_of = {{flatlist| * [Metal Church](/source/Metal_Church) * [Heretic](/source/Heretic_(band)) }} | website = }} '''Mike Howe''' (August 21, 1965 – July 26, 2021) was an American [heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) singer who performed with [Metal Church](/source/Metal_Church), [Heretic](/source/Heretic_(band)) and briefly with mid 80s Los Angeles metal band Snair. == Career == Howe began his career as the singer for a [Detroit](/source/Detroit) band called Hellion (later renamed Snair after moving to Los Angeles) before joining the band [Heretic](/source/Heretic_(band)), who were formed in 1986. Heretic released its sole full-length album, ''Breaking Point'' in 1988 before Howe departed to join [Metal Church](/source/Metal_Church) and Heretic disbanded. From 1988 until 1996 Howe sang in Metal Church, replacing [David Wayne](/source/David_Wayne_(musician)). After Howe joined Metal Church the subject matter deepened. The band's lyrics tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of ''[Blessing in Disguise](/source/Blessing_in_Disguise_(Metal_Church_album))'' and ''[The Human Factor](/source/The_Human_Factor_(album))''. Howe recorded three albums with Metal Church before the group split up in 1996. Although he had rarely recorded or performed outside of Heretic and Metal Church, Howe provided guest vocals on Hall Aflame's 1991 album ''Guaranteed Forever'' and Megora's 1997 EP ''Illusions''.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Megora-Illusions/release/7926457|title = Megora – Illusions (1997, CD)| website=[Discogs](/source/Discogs) }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/411049-Mike-Howe|title = Mike Howe| website=[Discogs](/source/Discogs) }} On why he left Metal Church in 1995, Mike Howe stated in an interview in 2017: "I left Metal Church because of managerial and record company and outside pressures that were putting Metal Church in a position that was not to my liking. They were ruining the band for me business-wise. Small examples like the record cover of [1993's] 'Hanging In The Balance', which was something that I did not approve of and something I did not like at all. And so… [Laughs] It's okay if you like it, but for me, it was not something that I liked. Things like that, the way it was recorded and mixed and the pressures put on me and to push me in ways that I didn't want to be pushed, so things like that. It came to a head to where this is not the band I envisioned and [Kurdt](/source/Kurdt_Vanderhoof) envisions and we're basically being bullied around by a management company that doesn't understand us. They think they know better than us. I was like, 'This is it. I'm getting off the ship before it goes down.'{{Cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/mike-howe-says-metal-church-was-bullied-by-management-during-the-making-of-1993s-hanging-in-the-balance|title = MIKE HOWE Says METAL CHURCH Was 'Bullied' By Management During The Making Of 1993's 'Hanging In The Balance'| website=[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)|date=June 24, 2017|accessdate=November 9, 2023}} Metal Church founder [Kurdt Vanderhoof](/source/Kurdt_Vanderhoof) reported in 1998 that Howe had retired and was living in [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) with his family. Outside music, he had a full-time job in [carpentry](/source/carpentry) and was a father to two sons born in 1997 and 2002, respectively.{{Cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/metal-church-mike-howe-interview-2020/|title = Metal Church's Mike Howe: Inside My 20 Years Away from Metal| website=[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire) }} On April 30, 2015, Metal Church announced that Howe had rejoined the band,{{cite web|title=Metal Church Rejoined By Singer Mike Howe|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metal-church-rejoined-by-singer-mike-howe/|work=[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)|date=April 30, 2015|accessdate=May 1, 2015}} and he appeared on two more albums with them – ''[XI](/source/XI_(Metal_Church_album))'' (2016) and ''[Damned If You Do](/source/Damned_If_You_Do_(album))'' (2018), as well as their 2017 live album ''Classic Live'' and the 2020 compilation album ''From The Vault''. == Death == On July 26, 2021, Metal Church announced via the band's [Facebook](/source/Facebook) page that Howe had died that morning at his home in [Eureka, California](/source/Eureka%2C_California), aged 55.{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metal-church-singer-mike-howe-dead-at-55/|title=METAL CHURCH Singer MIKE HOWE Dead At 55|publisher=[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)|access-date=July 26, 2021|date=July 26, 2021}} The cause of death was ruled suicide.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/metal-church-singer-mike-howes-death-ruled-as-suicide-3007570|title=Metal Church singer Mike Howe's death ruled as suicide|author=Neale, Matthew|language=en-US|url-status=live|website=[NME](/source/NME)|date=July 30, 2021|access-date=December 15, 2022|archivedate=April 7, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407152400/https://www.nme.com/news/music/metal-church-singer-mike-howes-death-ruled-as-suicide-3007570}} He was the second singer of Metal Church to have died following [David Wayne](/source/David_Wayne_(musician)) in 2005. == Discography == === With Heretic === *''Breaking Point'' (1988, [Metal Blade](/source/Metal_Blade)) === With Metal Church === *''[Blessing in Disguise](/source/Blessing_in_Disguise_(Metal_Church_album))'' (1989) *''[The Human Factor](/source/The_Human_Factor_(album))'' (1991) *''[Hanging in the Balance](/source/Hanging_in_the_Balance)'' (1993) *''[XI](/source/XI_(Metal_Church_album))'' (2016) *''Classic Live'' (2017) *''[Damned If You Do](/source/Damned_If_You_Do_(album))'' (2018) * ''From the Vault'' (2020) ==References== {{Reflist|refs= http://www.metalchurchmusic.com {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008045622/http://metalchurchmusic.com/ |date=October 8, 2011 }}, band history page, Metal Church, Retrieved March 18, 2011. http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/219/41/. Metal-rules.com. August 8, 1998. Retrieved March 18, 2011. http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/heretic.htm. Nolifetilmetal.com. Retrieved March 18, 2011 }} ==External links== *{{cci}} *{{Discogs artist|Mike Howe}} {{Metal Church}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, Mike}} Category:American heavy metal singers Category:People from Taylor, Michigan Category:1965 births Category:2021 deaths Category:2021 suicides Category:Metal Church members Category:Suicides by hanging in California Category:Male suicides Category:Musicians who died by suicide --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Howe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Howe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Howe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.