Vernon Wayne Howell was born on August 17, 1959, to 14-year-old single mother Bonnie Sue Clark. He described his early childhood as lonely, and alleges that he experienced abuse. Beginning in junior high, Howell developed passions for the Bible and the guitar. After being disfellowshipped from the Seventh-day Adventist church he attended in Tyler, Howell moved to Waco, where he joined the Branch Davidians in 1981. He played guitar and sang in worship services at Mount Carmel Center. He also performed at venues in the Waco community, including Chelsea Street Pub & Grill, then located in Richland Mall, and Cue Sticks, a bar behind a former Kmart on Old Dallas Highway. Howell often invited older Branch Davidians to his gigs—a stark contrast to the typical, young rock and roll scene. Between songs, Howell would quote from the Bible and often hand out his phone number at the compound. Interested in using music as an evangelistic tool, he opened a music studio in Waco called Cyrus Productions to make an album. . With a group of Waco musicians, he recorded a song titled “Mad Man in Waco,” and released it on 45 and cassette formats, along with a publicity photo of himself. The song centers on George Roden, who claimed to be the rightful leader of the Branch Davidians after the death of his mother, Lois Roden. In 1987, Howell went to Lone Star Music—a shop he often visited to haggle for guitars—to give owner Calvin Ross a copy of his demo tape. Howell’s music career never took off as he had hoped, and he began to focus his attentions on his role as leader of the Branch Davidians—having superseded George Roden. In 1990, Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh. The name was a nod to the messianic role he saw himself undertaking and a parallel to King Cyrus, who destroyed the Babylonians, enemies of Israel. ~ Source: Courtesy of the Texas Collection at Baylor University. Vernon Howell promotional photo. [Waco] Branch Davidians: Robert F. Darden III Collection #2334, Series IV Photographic Materials, Photographic Materials: Photographs: “Mad Man in Waco.” (1 of 2), 1938-1993, Box 4, Folder 27. ~