William "Hammy" Howell

William "Hammy" Howell (24 October 1954 – 13 January 1999) was a British piano and keyboard blues and boogie-woogie player, who played for the then-popular doo wop outfit Darts. After leaving school, Howell developed his own distinctive style of piano-playing, starting with blues, then rock and roll and eventually boogie-woogie. He put on an excessive amount of weight and would sometimes play in lounge at the Mambo Inn in Brixton.

Rita Ray, one of the vocalists from Darts, said of Howell's playing: "You don't come across a left-hand talent like that very often. Hammy's thunderous rhythm made him a natural for us."