Support for this podcast and the following message come from Dignity Memorial.

When your celebration of life is prepaid today, your family is protected tomorrow.

Planning ahead is truly one of the best gifts you can give your family. For additional

information visit dignity memorial.com. This is fresh air. I'm Terry Gross.

Brittany Howard has returned to our show for a second visit to talk about her new solo album and more.

She became well known as the singer-guitarist and songwriter fronting the band Alabama Shakes.

The band's second album, Sound and Color, debuted at

number one on the Billboard 200. In 2015, Howard received Billboard's Women in Music

Powerhouse Award. She recently released her second solo album called

What Now? Her first solo album received a Grammy Award and she received four grammies with

Alabama Shakes.

In her new album you can hear the influences of soul singers,

Prince who she knew, and dance music.

The last time she was on our show,

we talked about growing up in the small town of Athens, Alabama.

Her father owned a junkyard and their home was in the middle of it.

That home was struck by lightning and burned down when she was about eight.

At the same time, her 13-year-old sister was dying from a rare form of eye cancer.

Howard had a two but survived, although one eye has only partial vision.

She used her sister's name, Jamie,

as the title of her first solo album, which was dedicated to Jamie.

It was released in 2019.

...