George Howard (1956 ? March 20, 1998) was a Jazz-Funk/ fusion / contemporary jazz and smooth jazz soprano saxophonist. Howard was born in 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the late 1970s, he began touring with Grover Washington Jr., who was one of his idols. In the early 1980s, Howard released his first and second studio albums, Asphalt Gardens and Steppin' Out. Both albums were well received and ranked high on the Billboard magazine jazz album charts at number 25 and 9, respectively.