[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. HOWELL BEGLE

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                       HON. DONALD S. BEYER, JR.

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 11, 2019

  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in celebrating the exemplary life of Mr. 
Howell Begle--a veteran Army captain, lawyer, advocate for R&B singers' 
rights and my dear friend.
   Howell's life was spent in service to his country and helping 
others. After receiving his law degree from the University of Michigan 
in 1968, Howell was commissioned a captain in Okinawa and served in the 
Judge Advocate General's Corps. His wife, Julia, would tell you that he 
was particularly proud of his work in the JAG Corps, defending soldiers 
who were being tried for minor transgressions like growing their hair 
too long or neglecting to salute an officer, and explaining the Geneva 
Convention to soldiers who were being shipped out to fight in Vietnam.
   Howell left the Army in 1973 and began working in Washington, D.C. 
as a successful corporate lawyer specializing in media mergers. His 
many prestigious clients included the Kennedy Center, the American Film 
Institute, and the Academy Awards. A lifelong fan of R&B music, Howell 
began advocating for R&B artists after learning that one of his 
favorite singers, Ruth Brown, hadn't received royalties from her former 
record company, Atlantic Records, in decades.
   Using his years of experience working in the legal profession, 
Howell helped Brown pressure Atlantic records to eventually dispense 
her royalties in 1988--28 years after they were due. Howell's pro bono 
work led to industrywide royalty reform and Atlantic Records 
recalculating royalties for its numerous R&B artists, many of whom were 
African American and living in poverty due to unfair payment practices. 
That same year, Atlantic Records helped create the Rhythm and Blues 
Foundation, which gives grants to artists in need. Howell served as the 
foundation's first executive director.
   Howell's work touched many lives, but his most significant 
accomplishment was the family he loved and cherished. He was deeply 
committed to his wife Julie, his children Mark, Matthew, Charles and 
Kristin and his three grandchildren.
   In an interview, Howell once told The Washington Post: ``Too often 
in one's professional career, you don't get a chance to be on the right 
side of the right issue.'' Today, I thank Howell for being on the right 
side of the right issue and for his years of committed service.
   Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives 
to join me in recognizing Howell Begle's distinguished life and legacy.

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