Howie Casey

About

From Wikipedia:

Howard William Casey (born 12 July 1937) is a British rhythm and blues and rock saxophonist. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany, and later, as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the Seniors, the first Liverpool group to record an LP. In the 1970s, he was featured on several albums by, and toured with, Paul McCartney and Wings, among others.

[…] He soon became successful as a session musician, working particularly in association with record producer Tony Visconti, on records for Marc Bolan and many others, and touring with Bolan. Visconti then asked him to work with Paul McCartney – who Casey had not met for several years, since the Beatles’ success – on the album Band on the Run, recorded in 1973. He appeared on several tracks on the album, including “Jet“, “Bluebird” and “Mrs. Vandebilt“. He also played with Wings on the 66-show Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76, on the albums Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976) and Back to the Egg (1979), and as part of the “Rockestra” at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea at the end of 1979. He was scheduled to take part in McCartney’s next world tour, but it was abandoned after McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan at the start of 1980. […]

From Club Sandwich, No 17, 1980:

Howie Casey, who plays tenor sax in the Horn section, is the only English member of the [Wings horn section]. Born in Liverpool in 1937, Howie started playing in 1955 while serving for three years in the military band of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool).

In 1958 he formed his own band – Howie Casey & The Seniors – who played at a number of Liverpool venues, including the famous Cavern, often opposite bands such as the Big 3 and the Beatles.

In 1960 his group went to play in Hamburg and by 1961 had cut two singles and an album. After a six month retirement from the music scene in 1962, Howie joined King Size Taylor and The Dominos at the Star Club in Hamburg.

Later he became a session musician backing Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Lee Dorsey, Wilson Pickett, Fontella Bass, T. Rex and John Entwhistle, among others. He has also played on recording sessions with Roger Daltrey, Donovan, Bloodstone, Elton John, David Bowie, and worked on the ‘Tommy’ film track.

After the Wings 75/76 tour, Howie played and recorded with Paice, Ashton, Lord and did various session and jingle work. 1978 saw Howie return to work with Wings on the “Rockestra” and “Arrow Through Me” tracks on Back to the Egg. During 1979 Howie played at Wembley Stadium, in Europe and in New York with The Who.

Last updated on April 24, 2022