It started as a wedding gift for his soon-to-be wife. When Nashville recording artist Blane Howard's fiancée heard her gift - an intimate love song he and Jordan Kyle Reynolds co-wrote - she knew their first dance would be to "Promise to Love Her."
A video of the happy couple dancing together for the first time as husband and wife to "Promise to Love Her" went viral. It has more than 2.1 million views, has moved up the Music Row Breakout Chart and has been added to six television networks.
Howard's new single is a favorite among brides and romantics, fueling his blossoming career in country music. He will perform the hit single and other originals and covers during a special performance Saturday at The Bridge in Jefferson City.
Howard grew up in south-central Arkansas listening to country greats like Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Brooks and Dunn, and Alan Jackson, according to a news release. Jackson's song "Chasin' that Neon Rainbow," was one of the first tunes Howard played on his blue-and-green plastic guitar at 3 years old.
Howard moved to Nashville and graduated from Belmont University, where he met many of his bandmates, according to the news release. Howard has an EP from 2013 titled "Bout Time" and a full album released in June 2015 titled "Away We Go," featuring popular tracks like "Friday Feeling," "Crazy" and "County Line."
Howard tours across the Midwest and southern areas of the country, having opened for several artists including Hunter Hayes, Granger Smith, Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins. Performances at CMAfest in 2015 and 2016, the summer finale of Nashville's Next Big Twang in 2015, rocking out the State Fair of Texas Chevy main stage in 2015 and opening for Texas artist Cody Johnson on the fair's Texas vs. Oklahoma Day have topped his past concert schedules. Howard was named IMP-Independent Musicians Promotions 2015 Country Artist of the Year, and his video for "Crazy" earned him Judges Pick at Indi for Best Original Song in 2016.
Shea and Shorty will open with an acoustic set, and The Comancheros from Columbia will also perform before Howard takes the stage. Doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $10 per person, with a $3 minor surcharge.
For more information about Howard, visit blanehoward.com. For more information about The Bridge, visit TheBridgeJeffCity.com.