Liam Howlett Biography
Liam Howlett (Liam Paul Paris Howlett) is an English record producer, musician, songwriter, co-founder and leader of the British electronic band The Prodigy, and also an occasional DJ.
He was born in Braintree, Essex, England and was trained in classical piano from childhood.
Liam was influenced by hip-hop music and culture when he began to attend school at Alec Hunter High School in Braintree. He later learned breakdancing alongside his crew called The Pure City Breakers, and DJed in his first band Cut 2 Kill.
Liam Howlett Age
Liam is 47 years old as of 2018. He was born on 21 August 1971.
Liam Howlett Wife
Liam is married to Natalie Appleton of All Saints. They have been married since 2002 and the couple has a son named Ace, who was born on 2 March 2004. They live in Hampstead, London.
Liam Howlett Photo
Liam Howlett Net Worth
Liam has an estimated net worth of $20 Million.
Liam Howlett The Prodigy
The Prodigy is an English electronic music band from Braintree, Essex, formed in 1990 by Liam Howlett. The very first lineup included MC and vocalist Maxim, dancer and vocalist Keith Flint, dancer and live keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill, and dancer and vocalist Sharky.
The prodigy, along with the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and other acts, has been credited as pioneers of the breakbeat-influenced genre big beat, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s.
The group first emerged in the underground rave scene in the early 1990s and achieved popularity and worldwide recognition with UK number one singles such as “Firestarter” and “Breathe” (both 1996).
They later earned titles like “the premiere dance act for the alternative masses” and “the Godfathers of Rave” and they remained one of the most successful electronic acts of all time.
The prodigy has sold an estimated 30 million records worldwide and won numerous music awards during their career. Some of these awards include; two Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Kerrang! Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards, and two Grammy Award nominations.
The band’s frontman Keith Flint died on 4 March 2019, just weeks after the band visited Australia on their No Tourists Tour.
Liam Howlett Keith Flint
Keith Flint was The Prodigy’s frontman who sang on the group’s two 1996 UK number one singles – “Firestarter” and “Breathe”. He was also the lead singer of his own band Flint and also owned a motorcycle race team, Team Traction Control, which won three Isle of Man TT races in 2015 and competed in the British Supersport Championship running Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycles.
Keith and Liam met at local rave club the Barn in Braintree, and Keith expressed his appreciation of Liam’s taste in music. Later he received a mixtape from Liam and he came back with great enthusiasm, insisting that Liam should be playing his tracks up on stage and that Keith, along with friend Leeroy Thornhill, would dance to them.
Keith was originally the band’s dancer but he later in 1996, featured as the vocalist on the hit single “Firestarter”, the accompanying video showcasing Flint’s new punk look. In their next single, “Breathe”, Keith performed the lead vocals, whilst Maxim performed backup.
The band’s 1997 album, The Fat of the Land, featured Keith’s vocal contributions to several tracks’ which are, “Breathe”, “Serial Thrilla”, “Fuel My Fire” and “Firestarter”.
On the band’s next album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, which was released in 2004, Keith did not perform any vocals, although he did appear on the “Hotride – El Batori Mix”, on the “Hotride” single.
Later in 2009, in The Prodigy’s album which was released on February 23rd, Keith’s vocals were featured on multiple tracks.
Keith Flint Death
Keith died on the morning of 4 March 2019. He was found dead at his home in Great Dunmow, Essex. The cause of his death has not yet been established.
Liam Howlett Instagram
Liam Howlett Interview
What was the first music genre you recall growing up in your teenage years and the clothes/style back then?
Yeah it was the two tone label and the ska movement, The Specials were my band, they looked like a tough gang that I wanted to be in. The sta press trousers, the Fred Perry t-shirt or button down polo shirt and heavy loafers was the style inspired from the original Jamaican Rude Boys. We were meant to wear the school uniform but we would see who could bend it the most and get away with it. The raised sta press trouser with white socks and loafers just looked sharp and cool as fuck.
What were your first musical memories of the break dancing / Hip Hop scene and what drew you in?
After the ska thing slowed thing down it was then electro. Many people my age would tell a similar story getting music through the electro compilation albums. ‘Clear’ by Cybroton was a tune I loved and Beat Street the film inspired the clothing. It was more the Beat Street movie than the Breakdance movie that I liked, New York City breakers style with the PUMA tracksuits with the thick stripe. Ah shit I tried everywhere to get that. I remember my friend came to school in a Kappa track top which blew our minds. I got an electric blue Sergio tracksuit for Xmas I remember and went out and fell over tearing a hole in the knee. I was devastated
What are the rest of the ‘The Pure City Breakers’ doing nowadays and do you still keep in touch?
Shit, you are going way back. Fuck knows where or what they are up to!
What were your first memories of the casual scene and the sportswear, and where would you generally hang out socialising etc ?
Well I remember the casual scene rolling pretty smooth off the back of the electro style and fashion. I used to wear Nike Wimbledon trainers, I liked them because they were simple and looked good with a pair of Farahs. This particular era was heading into my last years at school.
How did you fund your passion for clothing and designer sportswear?
I washed cars for a garage. I remember being able to afford to buy myself a waffle tie with my first bit of hard earned cash. Freezing my bollocks off in the winter washing shite cars to buy the right tie. Now that’s commitment!
Were you originally aware of its association with the football casual subculture and did you support any particular team?
You know what, I wasn’t. Because mainly I saw the roots of it come through music first and also because I’ve never been into football. Just music all the way for me only.
The Prodigy were some of the pioneers of the original rave sound, what do you recall about how fashion changed throughout the original rave scene of the late 80s and early 90s?
Yeah in my mind I don’t think the rave era carried any good fashion/style to it at all. Looking back now it was such a step back from what I was wearing 5 years earlier. It’s best forgotten I reckon and just remembered for the music.
At school we all had some playground impersonations, my pal did Rick from the Young Ones and I did Charly the cat and his pal. I was made up when it appeared in Prodigy-Charly. What’s the story?
Yeah it was my idea. I was living at home with my dad still, it was Saturday morning and I’d been out all night Friday so I was watching some shit kids program on TV chilling on the sofa. In between one old show that was on called ‘The Double Deckers’, all the adverts between the show were from the 1970s so I flicked the VHS into record because I knew they would play the Charly cat safety advert. I recorded it and started to build a heavy tune around the ‘Charley Says’ vocal and the ‘Meow’ purely to play to my mates when they were on acid to freak them out a bit. I wrote it in 3 hours, boom that was it.
What drew you back into the current revival scene, how did you find 80s Casual Classics?
It was because I was looking for that same Kappa track top I mentioned earlier that my mate had back in 1984/85. Then when I found your site I couldn’t believe it, you even had jumbo cords for fuck sake!
We’ve seen you guys going absolutely mental in Moscow, why do you think The Prodigy have got so big in Russia?
It’s the same in most countries we play to be fair. The German fans speak to the Russian fans and all meet up at the gigs. They all speak online and hook up with each other.
Who has control over the music at home you or Natalie, do you share the same taste in music?
Definitely not me! I don’t listen to much music at home when we are alone but if we have a few friends over for a night we will have sound clash battles. One person plays a tune, then next person tries to play a tune to out do the last one.
Would Natalie give you the thumbs up on your wardrobe choice or is it all you?
My Mrs has style. She is somebody that looks cool as fuck in a track suit, she knows how to pull an outfit together. I always tend to wear the same shit until it breaks/falls off, then move on!
Give us some of your favourite break dancing tracks from the 80s?
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Renegades of Funk