Bill Henderson

by Scott YanowBill Henderson sings blues, ballads, and swing tunes in the tradition of Joe Williams and Ernie Andrews, but with his own personality. He started singing professionally in 1952, performed in Chicago with Ramsey Lewis, moved to New York, and started recording as a leader in 1958. He had a hit with "Senor Blues" (recorded with Horace Silver), and Jimmy Smith's trio backed Henderson on one date. During his period on Vee-Jay (1959-1961), his sidemen included Ramsey Lewis, Booker Little, Yusef Lateef, and Eddie Harris and, in 1963, Henderson was featured on a full album (for MGM) accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Trio. Although he made one further record in 1965 (for Verve) and was with Count Basie during 1965-1966, Bill Henderson never really received the fame that his talents deserved. He settled in Los Angeles, worked as an actor, and occasionally led a group containing both pianist Dave MacKay and pianist/vocalist Joyce Collins. Henderson (who recorded a couple of albums for Discovery in the 1970s, but very little since) performs regularly in the Los Angeles area and remains in prime form.