Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Before she was a household name, before the Grammys, before the headlining tours, Brittany Howard was dragging herself to rehearsals after 12-hour shifts as a mail carrier.
Before that, she grew up in a trailer in a junkyard in rural Alabama, enduring poverty, prejudice, and the tragic loss of her sister. This episode of Tape Spaghetti tells the story of Howard’s meteoric rise—and the grit that powered it.
From bluegrass jams at the ripe age four, to teaching herself recording on a donated computer, Brittany built her musical world from scratch. After a blog feature turned local buzz into national attention, the Alabama Shakes exploded onto the world stage.
Through it all, Howard channeled her experiences into artistic reinvention, even stepping away from her wildly successful band to create a solo masterpiece in homage to her lost sister, Jamie.
This one's a classic story of resilience, fearlessness, and what can happen when a kid from a literal junkyard refuses to quit.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: youtube.com/stringjoy?sub_confirmation=1
SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST: manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=UemY8r&g=VmVi9a
WHAT'S OUR DEAL?
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
Before she was a household name, before the Grammys, before the headlining tours, Brittany Howard was dragging herself to rehearsals after 12-hour shifts as a mail carrier.
Before that, she grew up in a trailer in a junkyard in rural Alabama, enduring poverty, prejudice, and the tragic loss of her sister. This episode of Tape Spaghetti tells the story of Howard’s meteoric rise—and the grit that powered it.
From bluegrass jams at the ripe age four, to teaching herself recording on a donated computer, Brittany built her musical world from scratch. After a blog feature turned local buzz into national attention, the Alabama Shakes exploded onto the world stage.
Through it all, Howard channeled her experiences into artistic reinvention, even stepping away from her wildly successful band to create a solo masterpiece in homage to her lost sister, Jamie.
This one's a classic story of resilience, fearlessness, and what can happen when a kid from a literal junkyard refuses to quit.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: youtube.com/stringjoy?sub_confirmation=1
SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST: manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=UemY8r&g=VmVi9a
WHAT'S OUR DEAL?
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
