Steve Howe

Stephen James Howe (b. April 8, 1947) is a popular musician and has been considered one of the world's leading guitarists since the early 1970s. Howe was born in Holloway, North London, England and is best known for his work with the

Stephen James Howe (b. April 8, 1947) is a popular musician and has been considered one of the world's leading guitarists since the early 1970s. Howe was born in Holloway, North London, England and is best known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes. He has also been a member of The Syndicats, Bodast, Tomorrow, Asia and GTR, as well as releasing 13 solo albums as of June 2005.

Howe was the youngest of four children who grew up in a musical household, listening to brass band music on 78 rpm records. He received his first guitar, an f-hole acoustic, as a Christmas present from his parents at age 12. He taught himself to play by listening to music by artists like Bill Haley & His Comets, Les Paul, and Tennessee Ernie Ford, and eventually began playing in local halls. He credited Chet Atkins with his greatest inspiration, "the idea that one guitarist could play any kind of guitar style."