Porter Howell

Porter Howell recalls with a smile that his piano-playing mom forced young Porter to play the guitar. In school, he participated in choir and band, which is when he met his future bandmate, Duane Propes. While in high school his teacher encouraged the boys to attend Belmont University in Nashville. They moved to Nashville in 1983, writing songs and playing gigs whenever possible. In 1988, teaming with Tim Rushlow, Dwayne O’Brien, Del Gray and Brady Seals, Porter and Duane formed the highly successful band Little Texas. Among their hits co-written by Porter are “God Blessed Texas,” “Some Guys Have All the Love,” “What Might Have Benn” and “I’d Rather Miss You.” The band had a hiatus but reunited in 2004, and celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2022. Porter continues to write both on his own and with others. He penned the sentimental “This Town Was” about how Nashville has changed over the years. Fun fact: Porter’s interview was the 1,000th captured by NAMM’s volunteer videographer, Suzanne Del Fiorentino.