Debora Iyall: A Remembrance Of Howie Klein
- Thomas Neuburger
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
This continues our tributes and reminiscences about this site's founder Howie Klein. For others in this series, click on the tag "Howie" at the end of any of these posts.
Debora Iyall was the dynamic and compelling lead singer of Romeo Void. It was Romeo Void and their first hit, "Never, Say Never," that got both them and 415 Records the attention of the larger music business.
Debora Iyall: A Remembrance Of Howie Klein
My clearest and earliest memory of Howie is watching him in the audience, night upon night nodding and bopping along in his leather jacket as a fan of so many bands. I also remember when I’d meet him at his 415 Records office at The Compound in an old firehouse on 16th St. in San Francisco. I clearly remember him grabbing a few records from the Returns stack, taking them, including some of ours, under his arm up to a record store in The Castro to sell and then taking me to lunch. I came over once and cleaned his flat for some extra money. Meanwhile, he was on the phone, sending personal notes, making connections at college and commercial radio stations and promoters around the United States. He had written on a map of the United States in red Sharpie, “all bands on tour at all times”.
Our first gig in New York City at the Underground someone came up to me right before we went on and said, “I hope you guys are really good. I booked you as a favor to Howie”. Him saying that inspired me to kick off my shoes and face the crowd barefoot. A challenge like that just can’t go unaddressed. We had a great show that night in Manhattan with a very different audience than we knew out in California.
Post 415 Records he inspired me to donate handwritten lyrics to Never Say Never as well as original artwork to benefit People For the American Way. I had a lot of respect for his dogged dedication and wistfully recall his amused chuckle. 💫✊🏽💫