(bass) and Howard (rhythm guitar and vocals) and Frizzell earned wide exposure, especially after performing with Tennessee Ernie Ford on his TV show in Hollywood as well as with Tex Williams and his band. During the tour, Frizzell's manager began working with Ray Price. Near the end of his relationship with Frizzell, he contacted Howard and asked if he would join Price's nine-piece western-swing band as their front man. Thus Howard became a Cherokee Cowboy in late 1954, opening each show and handling the vocals whenever Price was not onstage. Since Price was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Howard in turn too, became a part of the legendary broadcast. Howard was also served as emcee of each Ray Price tour, often traveling with the artists who performed on The Opry, with sometimes upwards of a dozen stars on the roster. One day as Price was working out a new song in the studio, Howard began to sing harmony with him. Price said, "That sounds pretty good!" and with Howard high harmony added to a walking bass line, a revolutionary new sound was born: "Crazy Arms" was an instant hit once Columbia Records released it in 1956, dominating the No. 1 country chart for over four months and making famous the "Ray Price shuffle". They recorded over a dozen more duets, many reaching the Country Top 10 over the next few years. Howard continued to tour with The Cherokee Cowboys until November 1959. Realizing that constantly being on the road would take a long-term toll on his health, Howard left the glamour of the music industry and the stage to be with his family. Late career Howard moved to Dallas in 1960 and re-entered the banking profession, rising over the next 31 years from cashier to vice-president. Then Howard changed careers once more in 1991, joining a software outsourcing firm. Shortly after moving to Dallas, he met his future wife Charlotte, known as "Chatsey", marrying on January 18, 1964 and eventually having two daughters and six grandchildren. Howard retired from the business world in March 2008, and died at age 83 in Dallas on October 2, 2012. External links See also List of country musicians References American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters People from Nashville, Tennessee Musicians from Dallas 1929 births 2012 deaths Singer-songwriters from Texas Singer-songwriters from Tennessee People from Curry County, New Mexico Country musicians from Tennessee