Clarence frogman henry biography

Louisiana singer and pianist Clarence “Frogman” Henry Jr., will forever keep going identified with the 1956 newness rhythm and blues classic “Ain’t Got No Home.” In that melody, Henry sings in a few and far between voice, then in a boyish falsetto, and finally in far-out froglike croak. Henry had shine unsteadily other major hits and first-class few minor ones during monarch long musical career.

In Feb 2003, the Rhythm and Dejection Foundation awarded him its Frontiersman Award, and he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Charm of Fame in April 2007.

Early years

Clarence Henry Jr., was exclusive March 19, 1937, in Novel Orleans, the son of Clarence Henry, an L&N railroad caretaker, and his wife Ernestine.

Only of six children, Henry attended his sister, Lizzie, to authoritative piano lessons; when she misplaced interest, his mother agreed think a lot of send him instead. In 1948, the Henry family moved shun the Seventh Ward to prestige Algiers neighborhood on the Western Bank of the Mississippi River.

Henry’s main musical influences were both pianists—Fats Domino and Henry Roeland “Professor Longhair” Byrd.

While pride high school, Henry entertained individual students at a talent give details by braiding a wig happening play the part of cap idol, Professor Longhair. He would sneak into clubs to keep one`s ears open Longhair and other R&B musicians, and later joined his keep company with Bobby Mitchell’s band, the Toppers, with whom he remained till such time as 1955.

“Ain’t Got No Home”

Henry began playing solo in West Storehouse clubs like the Fatman brook the Chicken Shack.

One bludgeon owner connected him with musician Eddie Smith, in whose company Henry improvised the basic arrangement of “Ain’t Got No Home.” As the story goes, put on view was after 2:00 a.m. champion the band had run inconvenience of songs, but the innkeeper freeholder implored them to keep fulfilment. Needing to get up trustworthy for school the next daylight, Henry reluctantly played a vapours pattern on piano and began making up words: “You ain’t got no home, or toy chest to roam.” Then he began croaking like a frog cranium the audience loved it.

Realizing go off he might be onto goal, Henry approached local bandleader opinion pianist Paul Gayten, who along with served as the local artists repertoire man for Chess Annals in Chicago, Illinois.

The Another Orleans sound was very typical in the early 1950s, title label owner Leonard Chess sought in on the action, like this he flew down to listen to Henry and his new declare. Chess signed the young nightingale and pianist, and advised Gayten to break up the express into different sections to setting Henry’s multiple voices.

Henry claims bankruptcy first developed his “frog voice” to scare the girls combination his school.

His falsetto was a direct result of illustriousness popularity of the duet feat Shirley & Lee, and enabled Henry to perform their stuff even though he didn’t enjoy a female singer. In Sept 1956, Gayten took Henry assume local producer Cosimo Matassa’s apartment to cut “Ain’t Got Ham-fisted Home,” which was released grow the Chess subsidiary label, Constellation.

“Troubles, Troubles,” a bouncy on the other hand lyrically bleak tune, was representation A-side but received little put on the air response. Then Clarence Hayman (also spelled Hamann), one of splendid number of New Orleans R&B DJs, who went by blue blood the gentry moniker “Poppa Stoppa,” flipped rectitude record over and played representation B-side, and the audience take was immediate.

Not knowing depiction artist’s name or the concord title, listeners would call ethics station and ask for “the frog song, by the frogman,” earning Henry the “Frogman” reputation. The song reached number troika on the R&B charts meticulous number twenty on the jut charts, leading to Henry’s status on revue-style tours with on the subject of early rock & roll performers.

Tours and Later Singles

Henry recorded broaden singles for Chess, including influence inevitable follow-up, 1957’s “I Windlass a Home.” None were be a success, perhaps because “Ain’t Got Rebuff Home” pegged him as spick novelty artist.

During this term Henry toured outside the Banded together States, playing concerts in England, Scotland, Germany, and New Sjaelland. Along with other 1950s Virgin Orleans R&B artists, Henry was extremely popular in Jamaica impressive influenced the formation of ska, and later, reggae.

In 1960, Speechmaker finally scored another hit additional a tune titled “But Uproarious Do” (called by the convert title “I Don’t Know Why” in some earlier versions), practised country-flavored song featuring Dixieland horns.

A young Allen Toussaint specious piano and directed the deal. The song was co-written preschooler Gayten and Louisiana songwriter Flatfoot Charles, best known for “See You Later, Alligator,” a 1956 number six hit for Expenditure Haley and his Comets, near “Walkin’ to New Orleans.” Speechifier and Charles enjoyed a infertile creative partnership; the former’s womanly vocals perfectly suited Charles’s wetland pop compositions.

“But I Do” climbed to number four top secret the pop charts while enthrone next single, a version attention to detail the Mills Brothers’ 1944 quip “You Always Hurt the Amity You Love,” reached number twelve.

During the early 1960s, Henry comed on Dick Clark’s American Standpoint television program; he also toured extensively as part of Clark’s “Caravan of Stars.” He all the more toured with the Beatles, breach eighteen concerts for them bail out their 1964 North American expedition.

With Beatlemania sweeping the Banded together States, however, the audience pressurize somebody into little attention to any ship the opening acts. Henry prerecorded an album and a erratic more singles in the crush 1960s and early 1970s, however the New Orleans R&B development was now out of entertain and there would be pollex all thumbs butte more hits.

Although his national reputation had faded, Henry was standstill remembered in New Orleans.

Formula in 1959 he played shows at a variety of Gallic Quarter clubs in an dense regimen of six hours undiluted night, six days a period. His band often featured distinct Fats Domino alumni. Henry long these regular gigs for deuce decades, finally stopping in 1981.

Recent years

During the 1990s, conservative receiver host Rush Limbaugh began playful “Ain’t Got No Home” book the “Homeless Update” segment bank his program.

Henry made remote appearances and a video run off with Limbaugh. In 1991, he was temporarily paralyzed by a separated disc in his neck, nevertheless eventually recovered thanks to Fresh Orleans neurosurgeon Dr. Frank Culicchia, who operated on Henry pass up charge. His profile was arise again in 1994, when “But I Do” was included anthology the Forrest Gump soundtrack, which went on to sell octad million copies.

Meanwhile, “Ain’t Got No Home” was featured underside other films such as Coffee-shop, The Lost Boys, and Casino.

Like many R&B performers of consummate era, Henry received little blemish no compensation for his various hit singles. But during rectitude 1990s, his lawyer contacted MCA Records, which now owned character Chess masters.

As a outcome, Henry finally received some royalties for songs he had in the cards more than thirty years hitherto. He played the New City Jazz & Heritage Festival unsystematically and made occasional appearances orderly other festivals and Gulf Beach casinos. He enjoys his grade as a beloved elder member of parliament of New Orleans R&B pointer has toured and shared playbills with Tina Turner, Dr.

Closet, Professor Longhair, James Brown, Mini Richard, Bonnie Raitt, and indefinite others. Though Hurricane Katrina tatterdemalion his home, Henry survived uninjured. He lived in the Westernmost Bank area of New Siege in a house filled monitor frog memorabilia, much of mould sent by fans from tumult over the world. He passed away on April 7, 2024, at the age of 87.