Playing his first live date at the age of 12 with the legendary Rufus Thomas, drummer Howard Grimes was a mainstay on the Memphis blues and R&B scene for over four decades. He began recording with Stax Records (then known as Satellite) as a teenager and by his late twenties he was a member of the famed Hi Rhythm Section, backing such soul greats as Ann Peebles and Al Green.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, Grimes started playing drums at the age of six inspired by the sounds he heard in church and on his mother's 78 recordings, particularly Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk." At Stax he was tutored by Al Jackson of Booker T. the MG's. By the time he reached Hi Records producer Willie Mitchell, Grimes was already a veteran performer, although he was still in his twenties. As a key member of the house band at Royal Recording Studios in Memphis, Grimes was instrumental in creating some the most memorable songs and soul grooves of the 1970s. After the decline of Hi Records, Grimes teamed with Hi bassist Leroy Hodges, backing an ever-increasing number of blues and soul artists into the '90s. Howard Grimes died on February 12, 2022, in Memphis due to kidney failure. He was 80 years old. ~ Keith Brown, Rovi