An short story concerning Howie Epstein from David Olsen...
I was working as a graphic artist for Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood back in 1983. One day I was waiting to cross Sunset when someone called out "Hey! Didn't you go to Nicolet?" It HAD to be someone I knew, being a few thousand miles from Milwaukee. It turned out to be Howie. We talked for a while & he told me he was in a band. (Just like everyone in LA) After he told me he was playing with Tom Petty, I had to go check the TP albums & sure enough; there he was. Howie told me that there were a few other Nicolet people playing music in LA, including David Erikson.
That was the last time I saw him. I tried to get backstage at a TP show here in San Diego in the late eighties, but I guess I didn't have enough juice to see my old high school chum. It's too bad the way things ended up for him.
The year was 85, and I was living here in Lockport, the A-H at that time which was a ways from Buffalo. Anyway to make a long story short I heard that Tom Petty was playing out at Rich Stadium and I took off, little did I know that it was sold out, and by the time I got out there it was over by a half hour. I had spoke with a security guard and asked them what hotel they were staying at and when I got back home called the hotel. The operator put my call thru Howies room and we talked for a good 20 min. It was nice to hear him since we had history together. He was a smart mouth, but a very talented musician. I know he is at peace.
When I joined Facebook this year...april 2012....Randy Hill was nice enough to tell me that Howie was a part of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.....i never knew this....then found out he had passed in 2003......Howie was an nice , kind heart in high school....he will be missed.....but i know he is jamming in heaven....DS
Peter Newberger
The year was 85, and I was living here in Lockport, the A-Hat that time which was a ways from Buffalo. Anyway to make a long story short I heard that Tom Petty was playing out at Rich Stadium and I took off,
little did I know that it was sold out, and by the time I got out there it was over by a half hour. I had spoke with a security guard and asked them what hotel they were staying at and when I got back home called the hotel. The operator put my call thru Howies room and we talked for a good 20 min. It was nice to hear him since we had history together. He was a smart mouth, but a very talented musician. I know he is at peace.
Peter Newberger
Deborah Stack (Gulbranson)
When I joined Facebook this year...april 2012....Randy Hill was nice enough to tell me that Howie was a part of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.....i never knew this....then found out he had passed in 2003......Howie was an nice , kind heart in high school....he will be missed.....but i know he is jamming in heaven....DS