From the Howell family:
“Audrey left us on February 24th. She was 30 years old. She lived in Portland for the past 4 years, where her already prodigious musical talents were taken to a whole new level. Before that, she lived in Asheville NC in what was known as The Music House. She grew up in Atlanta with her parents, Marsha and Jeb, and her sister, Magen.
Her family and friends knew her as Andrew for 21 years but went by several nicknames such as “sandrew,” “bubba,” “shmoopy boopy,” “The Kid,” “Andy,” and more. At the age of 21 she revealed that her outside didn’t reflect who she felt like on the inside and thus our sweet Audrey was born. Across her entire life from childhood to the day she left us, Audrey was a kind, warm, and sensitive soul who wanted everyone around her to feel loved. Some of her friends knew her as Andrew, but most of us now know her as Audrey. For those who have only known her as Audrey, we hope you will embrace our love for both Andrew and Audrey, she is both to us. We love her no matter what, and always have.
She got her first electric guitar at the age of 12. It had a tiny little amp about the size of a small briefcase and this was the beginning of what became a lifelong passion, obsession, and outlet for her. She could not walk by a piano without sitting down and playing it, she detected instruments wherever she went, as if they called her to play them. She was amazingly gifted on almost any instrument she touched. Mandolin, ukulele, piano, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, banjo, drums, to name a few.
She also had a passion for video games and as a child she would beat almost every game she ever played. Her friends both loved and hated playing with her because of how talented she was! We like to think the many hours she spent playing video games strengthened her hands and helped with her guitar and keyboard playing. It also contributed to how strong her hands were for shoulder and back rubs!
Beyond her musical talent, Audrey also had a brilliant mind and hilarious cynical sense of humor. She could turn the darkest topic into a light joke or turn the lightest moment into a dark twist. She was predictably unpredictable in this way, which made it fun and humorous to spend time with her.
Our hearts will forever be broken at the loss of Audrey’s spirit and musical gifts. We find peace in knowing how many lives she touched with her kindness and her talent. She often sacrificed her own happiness to ensure that others around her felt happy and loved and we hope that her spirit will continue to ripple throughout the universe until the end of time.”
To help Audrey’s legacy live on, please make a gift to the Audrey Howell Scholarship Fund through My Voice Music.