Father died when he was 10; 25 years later Howard discovered his family name had been Howeritz
It was later changed to Howard, possibly to conceal Jewish heritage
Grandmother was a violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony
Trained in classical music, but spent much of the 1970s and 1980s in the rock-and-roll scene, first with a band called Mama Lion, then with a pair of solo albums, and ultimately for several years as a session musician for Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Eric Clapton and others
Joined Elton John's band on tour and in the studio in the mid-1970s, and later was the conductor for John's album Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (1987)
Started scoring films in the 1980s, beginning with the 1985 comedy Head Office, starring Judge Reinhold and Eddie Albert
Wrote the Emmy-nominated theme to long-running NBC drama ER (1994-2009)
Awards
2021Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture:nominated
2020Oscar-Best Achievement in Music (Original Score):nominated
2020Critics' Choice Awards-Best Score:nominated
2016Emmy-Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Special (Original Dramatic Score):nominated
2009BAFTA Film Awards-Best Music:nominated
2009Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture:nominated