Howard 'Youngblood' Bomar to Release 'I, Who Have Nothing' Album

Howard Bomar was a man who slipped through everybody's fingers. His artistry, however, escapes that fate with the April 15 release of I, Who Have Nothing, available from Sundazed Music on LP and CD with bonus tracks. The 13-track collection features his 1960s 45 soul sides and five previously unreleased recordings, including a cover of Prince's "Purple Rain." Pre-order here.

With a mix of familiar favorites and unique originals, Bomar's talent is heard throughout the album, from "I'll Be There," a soul-soaked version of The Everly Brothers' 1955 classic "Let It Be Me" to the surging, organ-fueled take on Junior Walker's explosive R&B milestone "Shotgun," and a version of "What Love Has Joined Together" that adds some serious hip-swinging potential to the Smokey Robinson/Bobby Rogers-penned ballad. He brings grit and grace to the original "I'm Gonna Love You," a jumping, James Brown-indebted tune A-side with organist Al Moore.

Previously unreleased songs like a revamped "I Who Have Nothing," the saucy soul-blues "She's a 911," and a transcendent take on Prince's "Purple Rain" offer a glimpse of Bomar's later years. With the gravitas of maturity, he could generate even more pathos than in his youth, even if the setting bore the sheen of a new digital era.

Born in St. Louis on August 28, 1943, Bomar fell in love with the sounds of James Brown and Sam Cooke. When his mother got a job in Denver, she brought her teenage son west. Before long, he began making his name as a dynamic young performer who could shout like his pants were on fire or croon intently.

Watch the new music video here: