Katherine Henderson (June 23, 1909[1] – September 1, 2002) was an American classic female blues singer.[2] Most of her recording sessions took place in Long Island City, New York City, in October and November 1928.[3]
Katherine Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 23, 1909 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | September 1, 2002 (aged 93) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Genres | Classic female blues |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1920s–1940s |
| Labels | Brunswick, QRS |
Career
editHenderson was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[4] She was the niece of Eva Taylor and Clarence Williams.[5]
As a child, she performed in minstrel shows and on the vaudeville circuit.[1] In the late 1920s, she recorded around ten songs, which were issued by Brunswick Records and QRS Records.[5] In 1927, she starred in Bottomland, an ill-fated New York–based stage musical written by Williams.[6] The show included the song "Take Your Black Bottom Dance Outside", which Henderson recorded.[7] In 1928, she married John Jackson.[8]
Henderson continued performing until 1944, long after her recording career was over.[5][8]
According to Derrick Stewart-Baxter, Henderson's vocal style was marred by "more than a suspicion of ham", as "she put her material across in a rather lachrymose manner".[9]
She was unrelated to Fletcher, Horace, Edmonia, and Rosa Henderson.
Selected discography
edit| Year | A-side (Songwriter) |
B-side (Songwriter) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | "Baltimore"[10] (Danni Healy, Irving Kahal, Jimmy McHugh) |
"Take Your Black Bottom Dance Outside"[10] (Clarence Williams, Eddie Green) |
Accompanied by Clarence Williams's Blue Five[10] |
| 1928 | "West End Blues"[5] (Clarence Williams, King Oliver) |
"Saint Louis Blues"[11] (W. C. Handy) |
With Clarence Williams & His Orchestra[12] |
| 1928 | "Do It Baby"[4] (Christine Yarian, Freddie Perren) |
"If You Like Me"[11] (Spencer Williams, Clarence Williams, Fats Waller) |
With Clarence Williams & His Orchestra[13] |
| 1928 | "Lonesome Lovesick Blues"[11] (Spencer Williams) |
"Have You Ever Felt That Way?"[11] (Agnes Castleton, Spencer Williams) |
With Clarence Williams & His Orchestra[13] |
| 1928 | "What Can You Do Without Me?"[11] (Edgar Dowell) |
"Mushy Love"[11] (M. Medina, Edgar Dowell) |
With Clarence Williams & His Orchestra[13] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "June 23: On This Day in Black Music History". Wchbnewsdetroit.newsone.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ Stewart-Baxter, Derrick (1970). Ma Rainey and the Classic Blues Singers. London: Studio Vista Books. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-289-79826-3.
- ^ "Katherine Henderson Accompanied by Clarence Williams and his Orchestra". Red Hot Jazz Archive. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
- ^ a b c "Katherine Henderson: Songs". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ a b c d "Blues Influence". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ Wes, Sandra L.; Aberjhani (2003). Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 1-4381-3017-1.
- ^ "The Mainspring Press Record Collectors' Blog". 78records.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ a b LeBlanc, Eric S.; Eagle, Bob (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 517. ISBN 978-0-313-34423-7.
- ^ Stewart-Baxter, Derrick (1970). Ma Rainey and the Classic Blues Singers. London: Studio Vista Books. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-289-79826-3.
- ^ a b c "Katherine Henderson Accompanied by Clarence Williams' Blue Five". Redhotjazz.com. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
- ^ a b c d e f "Clarence Williams & the Blues Singers, vol. 2, 1927–1932". Document-records.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ "Katherine Henderson with Clarence Williams & His Orchestra, "West End Blues", "St. Louis Blues" Images". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
- ^ a b c "Historical Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
External links
edit- Katherine Henderson 1909–? Red Hot Jazz Archive
- "West End Blues" on Youtube