New Details Emerge in the Shooting Death of Outlaw Country Artist Randy Howard
Story Highlights
According to sources…
” The bounty hunters entered Randy Howard’s cabin through the back door.
” Randy Howard was alive for five hours after he was shot, and spoke to police.
” Howard told police he though the bounty hunters were burglars.
” There were two bounty hunters that entered Howard’s house, a father and son.
” Randy was in his downstairs bedroom when he was shot at roughly 5:15 p.m Tuesday (6-9-15).
” Randy Howard shot first, and then the bounty hunters returned fire.
” Randy Howard fired one round. The bounty hunters fired six rounds, hitting Randy once.
” Two of the four counts pending in court against Randy Howard resulting in the bench warrant were possibly going to be removed just before his killing.
” Howard was just finishing up a Gospel album when he was killed.
“There was a few things that Randy had came back and said, ‘I really wish I would have done this or that,’ Just a few tweaks to it, and we’re working on getting those tweaks fixed, and we’d like to be able to get that released,” says Tammy Brown, a former girlfriend of Outlaw country artist Randy Howard who remained close friends with the songwriter up to his death on the evening of June 9th, 2015. Howard was shot in a gunfight in his own log cabin home in Lynchburg, Tennessee by a pair of bounty hunters serving a bench warrant for Marion County. The Gospel album called A Pair of Knees and was produced by Howard’s 40-plus year friend Paul Hornsby. Hornsby also produced Howard’s best known album, American Redneck from 1983 that made Randy a cult icon amongst Outlaw country fans.
A Tennessee Bureau of Investigations case is open into Howard’s death at the hands of the bounty hunters—a father/son duo working for A Plus Bail Bonding in Dunlap, TN. But the main question many friends and fans of the slain artist are asking is why did Howard have to die over a simple bench warrant, and did he believe he was acting in self-defense against an intruder?
“He had four counts facing him in Marion County, Tennessee,” friend Tammy Brown explains. “All other charges against him from the past, he had made restitution, he’d paid his fines. Everything else that was going on anywhere, he had satisfied the court. In this one, he had four charges.”
The charges that resulted in the bench warrant against Randy Howard all stemmed from one traffic stop made on Interstate 24 in east Tennessee while the 65-year-old Howard was trying to get to Macon, GA on September 26th, 2014. At the time, Randy’s driver’s license had been revoked.
“He was trying to get back to his hometown of Macon, and he had a flat tire in South Pittsburg, TN on Hwy 24,” says Tammy Brown. “He pulled over, and he was struggling to change the flat tire because his health was bad. He’d broken his leg this past year, and he was just in poor physical shape. So a State Patrolman pulled over and helped him change the tire. They buddied and bonded, and once the tire was changed, he sent him on his way. And as they were pulling on to the interstate, Randy said, ‘I guess he thought I just need to run those plates.’ So the patrolman did, and saw that the vehicle belonged to someone who wasn’t supposed to be driving and he pulled Randy over. He charged him with DUI, he charged him with driving without a license, he charged him with being drunk and having a loaded firearm, and he charged him with drug paraphernalia.”
This all occurred when the songwriter who once was signed to Warner Bros. and Atlantic Records, had shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams Jr., and had two songs cut by Hank Williams III, was going through a difficult period both physically and emotionally.
“Things had gotten pretty sad in the last year,” explains Tammy. “People would say, ‘Randy had all of that talent and just threw it away,’ and I get very defensive about that. It’s hard when you’re in that position, and the things that were going on, it was hard to hold on. He tried. It’s just like anybody with talent, and we’ve all got our demons, and we’ve all got our shortcomings, and he just got overwhelmed, and it kind of just snowballed.”
According Marion County District Attorney General Mike Taylor and Assistant District attorney David McGovern, Howard was eventually released from jail on bond after the original traffic stop, but was ordered to wear a SCRAM ankle alcohol monitor and GPS device, and was ordered to meet with probation officers. However Howard did not report to probation officers, and was not wearing the ankle monitor as he should, and his bond was ordered revoked on 12/23/14. On 1/14/15, the alcohol results came back showing Howard’s blood alcohol was below the legal limit, and the SCRAM alcohol monitor was ordered removed for “medical reasons.” Also on January 14th, the court set the matter to be heard again on 5/13/15. That was the date Randy Howard missed, resulting in the bench warrant.
Randy Howard also broke his leg while in jail custody at one point.
A friend of Randy Howard named Terry Dotson had tried to drive Howard to the court date on May 13th to face the charges stemming from the traffic stop, but Howard refused. “He said he wasn’t going back to jail. That’s what he told me,” Dotson is quoted as saying. So when Howard didn’t show up to court, the bench warrant was issued in Marion County for Howard’s arrest. The two bail bondsman picked up the warrant, and served it at Randy’s 150-year-old log cabin in Lynchburg.
However by the time the bounty hunters arrived at Randy’s cabin, the four charges stemming from the traffic stop in September were possibly going to be reduced to two because according to a blood test, Howard had been below the legal limit at the time of the arrest.
“The drug paraphernalia was a short straw that was rolling around in his vehicle,” Tammy Brown explains. “I’m the first to say that Randy’s not a saint. But they took that for testing, and they drew blood for the DUI. It took months for the results to come back. We found out Thursday after Randy died that he did not register enough to be a DUI, the drunk and having a loaded firearm would go away because he wasn’t drunk. So he was just looking at driving without a license and the paraphernalia. I’m sure Randy didn’t know this. I’m sure he thought he was still facing those four charges. And that probably made him drink and get in a bad frame of mind, and he just didn’t want to go to court. So he didn’t show up.”
When the bounty hunters arrived on Randy Howard’s property to serve the warrant, they did not go to the front door. They went around the cabin to the back, and busted the back door down according to Howard’s executor, beneficiary, and 40+ year friend Tracy Parker of Gainesville, GA.
“The bounty hunter went into Randy’s back door. Randy was in his bedroom downstairs, and heard him,” Tammy Brown explains. “He got off one shot at what he thought was a burglar. And the bounty hunter got off six shots. Randy was only shot once, but there was six shell casings in the floor.”
Police and ambulance were called to the scene at approximately 5:15 p.m., and Randy Howard was taken out of his cabin on a stretcher. According to Tracy Parker, Randy Howard told police, “I thought he was a burglar.” Howard was reported to be lucid and conversational, and there wasn’t a lot of blood. The gun shot he sustained was to the chest, but police and paramedics didn’t immediately see it. He was first taken by ambulance, and then care flighted to the hospital. Five hours later, Randy Howard died at Vanderbilt Hospital.
There appears to be no dispute of whether Randy Howard shot first at the bounty hunters. He injured one of the bounty hunters, Jackie Shell, with the shot. Shell was transported to Erlanger hospital where he underwent surgery. He is expected to fully recover.
“Randy was so tough. He should have been gone a long time ago,” Tammy Brown says. “We didn’t get the whole story until Tracy Parker got there on Thursday (6-11). We thought it could have been Randy’s fault. We really didn’t know what happened. But when Tracy got up there, he got the full story. Randy would want us to get to the bottom of it, and I don’t want anyone else to go through what he did. He didn’t deserve that. People want to portray him in a bad way. ‘Well he was a drunk. He had four DUI’s.’ It wasn’t this violent, awful thing. It just wasn’t like that. He just got in a spiral that he couldn’t get out of. He’d been to get groceries. He still had his groceries still on the kitchen counter. He had some bread and some donuts on the counter and the date was a week out. He didn’t want to die.”
Since it was Randy Howard’s wishes to be cremated, there will be no formal funeral or memorial service. However friends are planning a remembrance for the songwriter in Macon, GA in July.
“He would always say, ‘I know baby I’m not right, but walk a mile in my shoes,'” Tammy Brown says. ” He was very prolific. He was very tongue and cheek. He could make you laugh until you would cry. He had the biggest laugh and the biggest smile. And along with that, you’ve got the dark side. Life will beat you down. And once you’re down, it’s hard to get that momentum back going again.
“It’s bad that this had to happen, but you try to look for some good in things. He’s reaching people, he’s touching people even now. You have to get your strength from that.”
Randy Howard bought his cabin in the mid 80’s with the money he made from Warner Bros. for recording American Redneck. According to Tammy Brown, the cabin was Howard’s pride and joy. “Randy wanted his ashes to be spread in the front of that cabin. And we’re going to do our damnedest to get that done.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Saving Country Music reached out to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and spoke to TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine. Though DeVine refused to speak or confirm specifics about the case, he supplied the following statement:
TBI Agents continue to investigate Tuesday evening’s shooting incident in Lynchburg. Preliminary information indicates a bounty hunter, Jackie Shell, working for a A Plus Bail Bonding in Dunlap, TN shot 65-year-old Randy Howard inside Howard’s residence in the 3100 block of Griffin Road. Howard died as a result of his injuries. Shell shot Howard after Howard fired a weapon at the bounty hunter, who also sustained injuries during the incident. Shell was attempting to serve a bench warrant on Howard out of Marion County, TN for 4th offense DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, and driving on a revoked license.
Saving Country Music also reached out to A Plus Bail Bonding—the company for the bounty hunters—for comments or a statement, and was told, “You’ll have to talk to our lawyers.” Repeated efforts and requests to determine who is legally representing the bonding company were unsuccessful.
June 16, 2015 @ 6:40 pm
Damned shame. R.I.P.
June 16, 2015 @ 7:24 pm
What a ridiculous thing for a person to lose their life over….
June 16, 2015 @ 7:40 pm
If a regular person had entered a house through the back door and then shot a homeowner practicing self-defense, he would certainly have gotten a life sentence.
Legally sanctioned thuggery is no better than illegal thuggery.
June 16, 2015 @ 7:43 pm
That’s some serious bullshit. If this is true those two ought to be in some serious trouble.
June 16, 2015 @ 8:52 pm
Sadly, I doubt anything will happen to them. Bounty hunters seem to operate in pretty murky territory legally and that will likely help them out quite a bit in this particular case.
Damn shame as well, since it sounds like they essentially murdered Randy Howard.
June 16, 2015 @ 8:51 pm
Now, my heart broke.
June 16, 2015 @ 11:54 pm
I think I speak for most folks when I say that I would’ve shot the intruder as well.
June 17, 2015 @ 4:30 am
True, but the real question is, ‘What would most folks who had bonded out on four criminal charges and then skipped out on a hearing do?’
June 17, 2015 @ 6:06 am
The real question is would you have shot someone who kicked in your back door? Who in the hell did these “bounty hunters” think they were? How much money was the bond company really looking at forfeiting compared to their legal bill now? This thuggary should be illegal and I hope the “bounty hunters” have the next 25 to life to think about killing a man in his home. I would have done the same thing.
June 17, 2015 @ 9:51 am
I would have shot the shit out of them, and probably been within my rights to boot. But I didn’t skip bail. I didn’t sign away any rights to the bail bondsman. That’s the context of the situation. This action didn’t happen out of the blue.
I thought the law is, as long as the bounty hunter confirms the suspect is in the building, then he can go in and get him. So another question would be, if someone shot at you while you were doing your job, would you shoot back?
Not defending their actions at all–this was an avoidable tragedy. Did they even try to talk to the guy before they broke in? I think bounty hunters need more constraints placed on them. I will say it wouldn’t hurt to know what your state law is regarding bounty hunters. There are a very few states that sort of keep a lid on them. Mostly they have way too much latitude. And Castle Law probably doesn’t strictly apply in these situations.
I am not a lawyer, and I haven’t seen a single episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter.
June 20, 2015 @ 10:38 am
Seems you don’t speak for “most folks,” because only a tiny percentage of bail cases end up in shootouts with somebody dead.
“Most folks” show up for their court appearance–and as far as those who don’t, even most of them give up peacefully when the bail bondsmen come calling.
June 17, 2015 @ 1:06 am
Randy made mistakes in his life and drinking was the cause most, if not, every time, but this could have and should have been handled differently. He will be missed by those that knew the man minus the demons. Much of his music will never be heard. I am glad to have heard it. To those responsible. You may be able to justify the shooting but living with it is a different matter.
June 17, 2015 @ 10:45 am
I would think they should’ve identified themselves and stated why they were there……My understanding is that did not happen. They just kicked in the door. I would’ve shot at 2 strangers who just kicked my door in. Thugs is what those guys were. Simple as that!!!
June 17, 2015 @ 5:09 am
I would have done the same thing if someone had busted through my back door. We went through so much together in the early years. I remember how proud he was when I wrote “The Ballard of Randy Howard”. We were like close brothers then. He was never as bad as he’s been portrayed! Don C. Shreve.
June 17, 2015 @ 6:32 am
Based on a traditional view of Castle law, the authorities, or bounty hunters acting on behalf of the authorities, could only enter a home while in pursuit for a crime underway or recently acted, say a kidnapping or hostage situation, or for apprehension of a criminal who had committed one of a short list of felonies, including murder or rape. Certainly, a minor crime, such as a DUI, doesn’t and shouldn’t give any law authority the right to break down your door.
“The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail, its roof may shake; the wind may blow through it; the storms may enter, the rain may enter,””but the King of England cannot enter; all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement.”
– William Pitt
June 17, 2015 @ 10:28 am
Unfortunately, The best that we can hope for, is that those bounty hunters developed a guilty conscienc for talking a man’ life unnecessarily. They are definitely going to get away with it.
June 17, 2015 @ 12:29 pm
From what I can tell, the bounty hunters weren’t “acting on behalf of the authorites.”
They were acting on behalf of the bail-bonding company, which stood as financial surety for Randy’s appearance in court that he decided to skip.
When a person breaches his agreement with the bonding company by skipping a hearing (that the bonding company has guaranteed he will attend), the bonding company has to either pay the bonded amount to the court (usually, ten times the premium on the bond) or hire a bounty hunter (usually, at a ten percent premium) to try to apprehend the skip person.
When the bonded person breaches his agreement and skips a hearing, it can result in a hefty loss to the bonding company.
Bonding companies don’t want to hire bounty hunters – they just want their clients to honor their promises and attend their hearings.
Tennessee law permits bounty hunters to apprehend skip persons anywhere in the state of Tennessee.
There is a 1975 Tn Supreme Court decision in which the Court was highly deferential to the terms of the bonding agreement regarding the rights of the bonding company and its bounty hunters to apprehend skip persons.
In that regard, almost all bail bond agreements give the bonding companies wide latitude to apprehend their clients since the bonding companies pay a huge amount if a bonded person skips a hearing.
I don’t know the facts of this case, and the investigation won’t make this any less sad.
If you have a problem with bounty hunters, all you have to do is:
1. Attend your hearing;
2. Stay in jail and don’t post a bond; or
3. Post a bond with your property or the property of a friend or relative and attend your hearing.
June 17, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
CAH,
I’m not sure anyone is making the claim that the bounty hunters didn’t have a legal right to enter the premises and attempt to detain Randy Howard. There are some questioning whether the laws in Tennessee are wise in how they handle bounty hunters. However, whether they had a right to enter his home or not, the bounty hunters failed. The individual they were hoping to detain is dead, and by Howard’s own testimony, he thought they were burglars. Howard was not in hiding. He was in his own home. Why not send a sheriff out to arrest him? Why not wait until he leaves the house to get groceries? Why enter through the back door instead of the front? Did they even announce they were bounty hunters?
And let’s not gloss over the fact that the charge Randy Howard was bonded out on should have never been brought since a blood test concluded he was not driving drunk.
No matter where anyone falls on this issue, I think we can all agree the system failed. A man is dead, a bounty hunter is injured, and it all just feels so unnecessary.
June 17, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
Wow Trigger, What’s going on with your thumbs up? No way to thumbs up this amazing comment.
June 17, 2015 @ 2:26 pm
The deal with the “Thumbs Up” feature on comments:
Long story short, it’s a very buggy feature that at certain times taxes the Saving Country Music server so hard that it intermittently causes the site to go down. We’re working on a long-term solution but at the moment no solution has been implemented. So at times of high traffic volume to the site, I have to turn off the feature to make sure the site stays up. Really, we shouldn’t be using the feature at all. But since it’s so popular, I try to put it back up when I think it won’t be a problem.
So expect to see it sometimes, and not see it other times until we find a permanent solution.
June 17, 2015 @ 2:04 pm
Trig –
The point of the bail bond system is to make someone (a private sector bail bonds company) monetarily responsible for someone’s appearance to avoid sending the police out to pick up everyone who misses a hearing.
If Randy Howard thought these guys were burglars, he must have forgotten about that contract he signed with the bonding company giving it permission to find and apprehend him if he breached his agreement with it and skipped his hearing.
Maybe the bounty hunters failed, maybe they didn’t.
The fact that the person, who violated a court order and who breached his contract with the bail bond company (that he sought to bond him out), skipped his hearing and then started shooting at the bounty hunters doesn’t necessarily equate to “I think we can all agree the system failed.”
“And let”™s not gloss over the fact that the charge Randy Howard was bonded out on should have never been brought since a blood test concluded he was not driving drunk.”
This doesn’t mean that he can skip his hearing, thereby requiring the bonding company to forfeit the appearance bond it posted on his behalf.
Randy Howard skipped his hearing – he should have expected the bonding company to come get him.
I am very sorry for his family.
June 17, 2015 @ 1:09 pm
4. Do your best to take a few with you – one last good deed.
June 17, 2015 @ 6:50 am
Hopefully they can cut together an album with some of that material, maybe to benefit the family.
June 17, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
I am not a lawyer … but I’ve been researching on some of the law … it appears that based on common law, as affirmed by the US Supreme Court in the late 1800’s (Taylor vs. Taintor), bounty hunters have a lot of leeway in apprehending folks who jump bail. This applies as long as the state does not have any restrictions, which many states, including Tenessee do not.
– They can break and enter into a fugitive’s home and use whatever force is necessary, they do not have to knock and announce
– Because they are not agents of the state, constitutional protections such as Miranda warnings, unreasonable search and seizure, need for warrants, etc, do not apply. In addition, because of this, they can take fugitives across state lines without formal extradition
Based on this, the bounty hunters likely will not face any consequences for breaking and entering, and because they were legally permitted to break in, likely not face any consequences for shooting back once they were shot at. Again, this is just my interpretation of the law, and y’all can correct me if you know or think any different.
Having said that, what if this went the other way … a bounty hunter breaks in, and is shot and killed by the homeowner who thinks they are a burglar, would the homeowner face consequences. If the homeowner knew it was a bounty hunter, I think they would face consequences, but if they thought they were a burglar, my guess is that it would be a classic case of self defense. But again, I am not sure.
Having said all this, this is just the legal interpretation, and at the end of the day, it does seem that Randy Howard is unnecessarily dead and another person is injured and while they were legally permitted to do what they did, as Trigger said, could things have been handled differently and could there have been a better outcome …
And the issue of whether bounty hunters have too much power is another matter altogether
June 17, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
Another thing … Dog the Bounty Hunter has been mentioned in various comments … and I thought this was an interesting fact for those who may not be aware.
Dog the Bounty Hunter and his crew do not carry any guns … their only weapons are non-lethal stuff like pepper spray guns and the like. This is due to the fact that Dog is a convicted felon (before he turned his life around, he was involved in drugs and at the scene of a drug shooting), he is not allowed to carry a gun.
I am not opposed to bounty hunters carrying guns … however, carrying a gun brings greater responsibility, and I wonder if a combination of inexperience and the feeling of invincibility lead to this. Certainly, if I was a bounty hunter and not armed, I would anticipate that breaking in unannounced may cause someone to think I was a burglar, and I would maybe try a different approach.
June 17, 2015 @ 3:06 pm
Becoming a bounty hunter constitutes “turning your life around” about as much as going from being a murderer to “just a rapist.”
June 17, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
Breaking into a white man’s house, one who is from Tennessee or Texas or any place down there, while he is home no doubt, there is no way you can anticipate this ending well.
November 25, 2021 @ 5:19 pm
A “white man’s house”??? WTF??
June 18, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
I had tried to talk with Randy a few times about helping him to sober up and stop drinking but the only time he would call me was when of course was on a benge. He wanted me to be his AA sponsor and I was his long distant contact. It is hard to be much help so far away, me in FL and him in TN.
We had been close friends when Howard lived in Macon GA and even co-wrote some songs.I knew him personally as a friend, his barber and fellow musician. I never knew him to be violent and even if drunk he was forced into protecting himself. I was a worse drinker than he but I sobered up as of December 31st/Jan 1st 1983 so I know exactly what that life style can do to your judgement. Randy was a good man even when drinking.. Something is not right about this story.
The bounty hunters here were acting as wild west thuds and surprise attackers. Maybe they should have been tested for drugs etc.
June 18, 2015 @ 2:28 pm
The bounty hunters here were acting as wild west thuds and surprise attackers. Maybe they should have been tested for drugs etc.
June 18, 2015 @ 8:51 pm
My heart is broken. I don’t care what he did, this man brought so much joy & laughter to my life. I am eternally grateful for every song & every joke that he ever told. I will never forget him.
Rest in peace, Randy Howard, the all American redneck of my dreams. I love everything you ever did. You were an amazing man!
Sonia Wynne
June 20, 2015 @ 11:26 am
Randy was a good man, I met him years ago when I was takeing care of his mom and that man loved his moma, yes he drank when I would drop by to check on him we would sit on his front poarch and have long heart to hearts I will for ever miss that I just saw him a couple weeks before the hunters killed him we sit down and talked over serious stuff but to my friend I loved you and R I P hope you singing aunt carrie jean for the angels
December 26, 2015 @ 5:04 pm
US Government and the 1% (one in the same) put the drugs and alcohol out there along with parking lots at every bar then play the entrapment game use the other 10% which are paid thug flunkies to enforce the never ending ponzi scheme that is America. sadly there are no real Americans or Heroes left to stand up for themselves and the thugs prevail and the ponzi scheme lives on. Today’s hero is anyone who can do something stupid enough to get labeled as viral on FOX News very sad.
I say buy guns get a backbone and eliminate all of these Bounty Hunters and and so n until the 1% are neutralized or just keep drinking and taking drugs and killing yourself and letting these degenerates prey on you.
December 14, 2016 @ 10:01 am
This may be too long, but I don’t care. I knew Randy when living in Macon, GA. He dated my roommate at that time, around ”71,’72 or so, way long time ago, now – 44-45 years ago., We all loved him to pieces. God sure gave him one gorgeous voice. He had the best sense of humor and a lot of his songs SHOWED that aspect in and of him. Some of his songs were the truth, people just didn’t want to “say it”, some were so funny, or beautiful, I loved all of them. He was funny, loved to cut up and had a brilliant mind – that was his personality – a people person, down to earth. I don’t think I ever saw him drink more than maybe a beer/drink or 2. He would sing for hours, at the time, at a very nice Holiday Inn and it was always packed when he sang there, as he’d released All American Redneck and putting a “tape” (then, 40+years ago) out, also. We’d all go down to Denny’s after he got through with his gig, and he always went around and talked to everyone, thanking them for coming out, etc. One of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet, like said funniest, also. Made my jaws hurt, laughing so much. So quick witted. While we’d eat breakfast at maybe 2-3:00AM, sometimes on a weekend night, he’d always have a pen on him; and if something hit him in his quick thinking mind, concerning a song, he’d write it down on a napkin(s) and take with him. He was always a gentleman. One of his buds worked at the radio station, was always with him. If anyone knows him, I wish I could contact him.
My roommate was very in love with him, at that time. I never saw or heard of him, on or taking any kind of drugs, even though 1 of his songs was about that. So what? We took it as “that’s his humor”, period. Alot of people “in the day – at that time/years”, were on drugs, like pot or whatever. Back then Capricorn Records was dominate also in Macon…so may great singers came from there – Little Richard, the Big ‘O’, Allman Bros.; etc. Thank God I never got into ANY of the drug scene. He came from a very good family and I believe his dad was a preacher and he SURELY did love his moma. He had a chance to go to Nashville and maybe move up with his singing/albums, etc. and really didn’t know if he wanted to leave Macon or not or his moma & dad, especially. I know his folks really didn’t want him to go. He had a recording studio at their house. He, at some point, after I’d moved away from Macon, opened his own bar & grill, called Whiskey River (after Willie Nelson’s song, I presume). I always asked about him when I went back to Macon.
I’d heard, from folks at work, he was going to be in a very nice, huge country & western bar & grill in Marietta, GA, Miss Kitty’s, so my fiance and I went to see him. I had his 1st tape he put out, but not the 2nd one yet. So excited to go and see him again. We lined up in the ‘autograph/meet & greet’ line. When I got to him, I asked, “do you remember me?” Of course, yes, and he said after he saw all the folks in line, if we could wait, he wanted to talk with me a while. We did and had a great talk and time laughing, but I felt he was in the wrong place, going to Nashville but things were looking good for him, but think he was apprehensive about it all and missed ‘home’. A LOT. Before we left, I hugged him and wished him ALL the BEST. He gave me his 2nd tape. That was so nice of him. I’d worn the 1st one out. Shared with everyone, wrote my name all over it, so I’d get it back. Everyone loved it.
I was thinking of him a couple of years ago and looked on net to see if I could find him. There he was on My Space. I was so glad he was still singing and looked happy and wanted to email him, but had a horrible operation and hurting – never got to email him, then.
So, I looked the other day and saw THIS! So SAD AND SHOCKED, AS WANTED TO FIND HIM AGAIN & EMAIL HIM AND TALK ABOUT OLD TIMES AND NEW ONES. I first listened to his old and new songs, then saw this terrible, awful thing. I thought surely it was a mistake. Guess not.
I’m not a legal beagle but I cannot believe they handled this the way they did. There seems like could’ve been another way. At one time, we’d heard he had died, 7-8 years ago and was so glad I saw he was alive, well, joking as always while singing and hopefully, enjoying his life. He LOVED TO SING AND WRITE SONGS…THAT WAS HIS LIFE. NOW, THAT’S TAKEN AWAY/OVER, TOO. So that makes me sad and mad. I didn’t know how to keep in touch with him, after seeing him in ’85, and wished I had emailed him couple of years ago. I figured he made it really big, and you know how that goes. Some get very wealthy and forget their old not so wealthy buds. But, no matter if he had gazillion $’s, Randy would always love his friends & be happy to see/hear from them. He’s been in TN a pretty long time now and has many, many friends there that love him, too. I’d stand up for him any day of the week, as I KNOW WHAT A GOOD, SPECIAL PERSON HE IS.
In a way it reminds me of Elvis – what a good heart he had and I still believe people “preyed” on him and expected so much of him. Randy, always enjoyed life, but I don’t know how his life was or has been since ’85, but people who are really good and goodhearted, & funny are generally happy. LOOKS LIKE HE WAS GOING THRU A BAD SPELL, BUT KNOWING HIM, HE’D PULL OUT OF IT. We all have our ‘down side and times in life.’ THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY TIMES. THINK MOST EVERYONE DOES, RICH OR POOR OR WHATEVER.
I’m so sorry all this happened and for his family. I cried so hard. I saw the names on front of his log home and hoped he had a family to love, and they surely would love him. You couldn’t help but love him, HE WAS A GOOD MAN. He loved people and his band fellas, & good friends so much, I JUST KNOW HIM. HE WAS LOVABLE. BROKE A LOT OF HEARTS I BET, TOO, SO DARNED GOODLOOKING…BUT THIS, MADE THE HAIRS STAND UP ON MY ARMS (what few are left). IT JUST FELT LIKE HE WAS WRONGED, SO BAD. AND TO TO LOOSE YOUR LIFE OVER A STUPID WARRANT, OR WHATEVER? HE SURELY WASN’T A KILLER, TERRORIST, ETC. BUT HE GOT KILLED. NOT RIGHT. HEY, I’VE WATCHED ‘DOG’ AND HE & WIFE & BROTHER & KID DIDN’T HANDLE THINGS IN THIS MANNER. I DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY LAW IS, BUT I DO KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG AND THIS SEEMS VERY WRONG, TO ME.
I hope things turn out in his favor, but the best thing is TO KNOW he is with our Father and Savior, and couldn’t be a better place and I don’t know if his mom and dad are still living or not, but he’ll see them again, also. He loved them so, and lived at home a long time when most guys have left home, as he loved his folks so much & didn’t want to get to far away from home. He’s in the place we all pray to be and will be one day. Bet he and Elvis, Merle H., Waylon and ALL the great ones are making some good music, still, in Paradise. He’d be right there with them.
SO UNFORTUNATE AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO ANSWER FOR THIS – HE WOULD NOT SHOOT ANYONE OR ANYTHING UNLESS HE FELT HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER, I KNOW THAT. HE WAS TOO KIND. PEOPLE THAT KNOW/KNEW HIM KNOW THAT. ANYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND FAMILY IN THEIR OWN HOME, IN A SPLIT SECOND DECISION. I STILL HOPE & PRAY IN THIS GOOD OLE USA. ASK ANY MILITARY PERSON. THAT IS ONE RIGHT THEY HAVEN’T AND HOPE NEVER WILL, TAKE AWAY FROM US. SOMETHING JUST REALLY STINKS ABOUT ALL OF THIS AND TURN OUT IN HIS FAVOR. BUT – HE LOST HIS LIFE OVER THIS MESS. SO STUPID & CRUEL ACT, REALLY ON THE BOUNTY HUNTERS BACK. I’M SO SORRY, AS HE HAD PROBABLY MANY YEARS TO PLAY MUSIC AND WRITE MANY MORE SONGS AND CUT UP WITH EVERYONE. SOME PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR…BUT, SOMETHING’S WRONG IN DENMARK, THE OLD SAYING…ESPECIALLY, IF YOU’VE EVER KNOWN HIM, EVEN IF HE DID DRINK SOMETIMES – PEOPLE GO THRU THINGS. CRAP HAPPENED, BUT WE CAN GET OVER THOSE BAD THINGS. HE WAS MAKING A GOSPEL ALBUM, I SEE. ALOT OF HIS MIND, LIKE ALL OF US HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME.I KNOW HE DID NOT WANT TO EVER BE IN TROUBLE, IT WOULD KILL HIS FOLKS AND HE WOULD NEVER WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO EVER HURT THEM. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY ARE STILL WITH US? He’s with them, now. Bible tells us we’ll see our loved ones again and know them. I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED AND I’M JUST NOW FINDING THIS OUT AND IT’S BEEN JUST OVER A YEAR AND A HALF. BUT I’VE HAD HORRIBLE MEDICAL STUFF GOING ON LAST OVER 2 YEARS, ALSO AND GOING THRU SOME HARD TIMES, NOW. JUST HAVE TO KEEP PLUGGING ALONG AND PRAY THAT GOD GET’S US THRU ANOTHER DAY.
I’ve always thought of him and wished the best for him, as he was so darned talented and he gave us so much pleasure listening to his songs – we thought the “All American Redneck” was great – ALL of his songs were good to me.
December 14, 2016 @ 10:34 am
Not too long Leda. Thanks for sharing your story.
August 22, 2022 @ 9:13 am
Well,I’m an outlaw for obvious reasons,but….why are there bounty hunters in 2015 ?Thought they were obsolete by the (19)20’s or 30’s. (Fifties by the latest.) Anyway,Howard seemed to be living the “outlaw” life ,but was seemingly rather harmless.