Share to: share facebook share twitter share wa share telegram print page

 

Mike Henderson

For the American politician, see Mike Henderson (politician).

Mike Henderson
Birth nameMichael James Henderson
Born(1953-07-14)July 14, 1953
Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Died (aged 70)
GenresCountry, blues, bluegrass
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica
Years active1981–2023
LabelsRCA Nashville, Dead Reckoning
Formerly ofThe SteelDrivers
Websitewww.mikehenderson.com

Michael James Henderson (July 14, 1953 – September 22, 2023)[1][2] was an American singer-songwriter. In addition to his solo career, which included five studio albums, Henderson was a member of the country band The SteelDrivers from 2005 to 2011 and was a songwriting collaborator of his former SteelDrivers bandmate Chris Stapleton.

Biography

Early life and career

Henderson was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1953.[3][4] He was an original member of blues group the Bel Airs when they formed in Missouri in 1981.[5][6] They released an album, Need Me a Car, on Blind Pig Records in 1984.[5][7] Henderson left the band in 1985 and moved to Nashville.[5][8] The following year, he joined the roots rock band The Roosters.[8] He was also a member of spin-off band The Kingsnakes.[8] The Kingsnakes began playing weekly at the Bluebird Cafe in July 1986.[9] They shortened their name to The Snakes when they were signed by Curb Records.[9] An album, The Snakes, was released by Curb in 1989.[10]

In 1988, The Fabulous Thunderbirds covered "Powerful Stuff", a song Henderson had written for The Snakes, for the soundtrack to the film Cocktail.[8][11] Henderson later became a staff songwriter for EMI.[7] His songs have been recorded by the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Gary Allan and Patty Loveless, among others.[12][13] Henderson also found work in Nashville as a slide guitarist.[14] He played on albums by Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Joy Lynn White and Kelly Willis.[8][13]

Country Music Made Me Do It

Henderson's demos drew the attention of country music label RCA Nashville.[7] RCA signed Henderson and released his solo debut album, Country Music Made Me Do It, in March 1994.[15] Bob Cannon of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A− grade, writing that Henderson's "enthusiastic field holler and his guitar's riveting twang give off enough sparks to ignite [the songs]."[16] Dan Kening of the Chicago Tribune gave the album three and a half stars, saying that "Henderson downplays his guitar chops on his first solo album in favor of his songwriting and strong vocals and acquits himself admirably."[17] The album also received a favorable review from Peter Cronin of Billboard, who declared that "Henderson comes to the party with plenty of attitude and a distinctive point of view."[18]

The album's first single, "Hillbilly Jitters", peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[4] When subsequent singles "The Want To" and "If the Jukebox Took Teardrops" failed to chart, Henderson was dropped by the label.[19] "If the Jukebox Took Teardrops" was later a minor chart hit for Danni Leigh in 1998.[20]

Edge of Night

After being dropped by RCA, Henderson founded the label Dead Reckoning Records with Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, Tammy Rogers and Harry Stinson.[19] His second album, Edge of Night, was released by Dead Reckoning in January 1996.[7][21] The video for the first single, a cover of Eddy Clearwater's "I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down", was added by CMT in February 1996.[22] Tony Scherman of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ grade, writing that Henderson is "a good songwriter, even if he wears his influences a little too plainly."[23] Parry Gettelman of the Orlando Sentinel gave the album five stars, stating that Henderson's "strong, slightly sandpapery voice is as soulful as it is twangy."[24] Chet Flippo of Billboard also reviewed the album favorably, saying that "Henderson manages to sound at once world-weary and exuberant in a solid lineup of original material and country chestnuts."[25]

First Blood

Later in 1996, Henderson formed the blues band Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods with Reese Wynans on piano, Glenn Worf on bass and John Gardner on drums.[7][14] They released the album First Blood in October 1996 on Dead Reckoning.[26][27] Mark Knopfler wrote the album's liner notes.[28] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A grade, writing that "First Blood's blistering, seamless blues covers prove [Henderson]'s a remarkable guitarist and frontman."[29] A review in People stated that "when the combination of piano, bass, drums and electric guitar is as neck-snappingly strong as it is on the Bluebloods' first album, you don't need other instruments, original compositions or even many original ideas to deliver a knockout blow."[30] Linda Ray of No Depression also gave the album a positive review, praising Henderson's "masterful guitar and vocals" and saying that "the way he plays that slide is likely illegal in several states."[28] The song "Pay Bo Diddley" received some radio airplay.[14]

Thicker Than Water

Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods released their second album, Thicker Than Water, in January 1999 with John Barlow Jarvis replacing Reese Wynans on piano.[31] Becky Byrkit of AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five, writing that "Henderson contributes a particularly clear vocal style with plenty of simultaneous character from both the blues and true-blue country music."[31] The album received a mixed review in People, which praised Jarvis' "richly layered, hard-driving solos" but compared Henderson's vocals to "the white-guy-trying-to-sound-soulful desperation of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in their Blues Brothers mode."[32] Ed Kopp of All About Jazz gave the album a positive review, saying that "leader Mike Henderson is a highly capable slide guitarist, harpist, and singer, but the guy who makes this CD extra special is John Jarvis."[33] Tim Steil of the Chicago Tribune also gave the album a favorable review, stating that "whether playing Hound Dog Taylor-ish slide, or blowing harp lines that would make Little Walter smile, Henderson deftly conjures the sound of '50s Chicago."[34]

Later career

Henderson toured with Mark Knopfler on his 2001 Sailing to Philadelphia Tour.[8][12] In 2008, Henderson was one of the founding members of bluegrass group The SteelDrivers.[35] He played mandolin, resophonic guitar and harmonica and co-wrote most of the band's original songs.[36] The SteelDrivers' 2010 album Reckless was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.[37] Henderson left The SteelDrivers in December 2011.[38]

Adele performed Henderson's song "If It Hadn't Been for Love" for her 2011 DVD Live at the Royal Albert Hall.[12]

Henderson continued to play weekly shows at the Bluebird Cafe with the Mike Henderson Band.[9][12]

Death

Mike Henderson died unexpectedly in his sleep on September 22, 2023, at the age of 70.[1][2][39]

Discography

Albums

Title Released Label
Country Music Made Me Do It
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fountain of Youth"
  • Mike Henderson
  • John Ivan
2:31
2."The Want To"
3:08
3."Hillbilly Jitters"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
3:37
4."Prisoner's Tears"
3:16
5."Wishful Thinkin'"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
3:15
6."Country Music Made Me Do It"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
2:58
7."The Restless Kind"Mike Henderson3:23
8."That Train Don't Stop Here Anymore"
2:57
9."That's How I Remember You"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
2:43
10."If the Jukebox Took Teardrops"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Mark Irwin
2:19
Total length:30:07
 March 15, 1994 RCA Nashville
Edge of Night
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down"Eddy Clearwater2:28
2."Wherever You Are"
3:45
3."Nobody's Fault But Mine"Traditional2:39
4."The Edge of Night"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Charlie White
4:19
5."One Foot in the Honky Tonk"
3:03
6."This May Be the Last Time"Roebuck "Pops" Staples3:58
7."(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"
2:27
8."Honky Tonk Vacation (Tribute to Waylon)"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
2:53
9."This Property Is Condemned"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Wally Wilson
3:53
10."Take Me Back and Try Me"Ernest Tubb2:20
11."Drivin' Nails in My Coffin"Jerry Irby2:42
Total length:34:27
 January 16, 1996 Dead Reckoning Records
First Blood (Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."When I Get Drunk"(unknown artist)5:56
2."So Sad to Be Lonesome"Sonny Boy Williamson II4:19
3."Hip Shakin'"Joseph Benjamin Hutto4:04
4."Pony Blues"Charley Patton5:46
5."Bloody Murder"Otis Spann5:04
6."Pay Bo Diddley"
5:07
7."When The Welfare Turns It's Back On You"
  • Lucious Weaver
  • Sonny Thompson
4:56
8."Give Me Back My Wig"Theodore Roosevelt Taylor4:18
9."How Many More Years"Chester Burnett4:44
10."Mean Mistreater"Elmore James4:28
Total length:48:42
 October 15, 1996 Dead Reckoning Records
Thicker Than Water (Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Keep What You've Got"Stanley Lewis3:34
2."Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down"Edward Harrington3:14
3."Whiskey Store"
3:35
4."I Need Me a Car"Stanley Lewis4:24
5."Tears Like a River"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Glenn Worf
4:30
6."Scared of That Child"Sonny Boy Williamson II3:08
7."All My Money's Gone"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Glenn Worf
4:39
8."Mister Downchild"Sonny Boy Williamson II5:11
9."Angel of Mercy"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Bruce McCabe
5:29
10."Slow Your Motor Down"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Glenn Worf
4:09
11."Uranium Rock"Warren Smith3:41
12."My Country Sugar Mama"Chester Arthur Burnett4:18
Total length:49:52
 January 12, 1999 Dead Reckoning Records
If You Think It's Hot Here… (The Mike Henderson Band)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Want To Know Why"Mike Henderson4:28
2."Send You Back To Georgia"Theodore Taylor4:22
3."It's Alright"Theodore Taylor3:55
4."If You Think It's Hot Here"
  • Mike Henderson
  • Robert Stockton Field
5:57
5."Weepin' And Moanin'"Mike Henderson5:39
6."Mean Red Spider"McKinley Morganfield4:48
7."Possession"Robert Johnson6:37
8."Unseen Eye"Sonny Boy Williamson II5:00
9."Matchbox"Carl Perkins3:05
10."Gambling Blues"Melvin Jackson5:37
11."Rock House Blues"Mike Henderson2:02
Total length:51:30
 January 20, 2015 Ellersoul

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US Country
[40]
1994 "Hillbilly Jitters" 69 Country Music Made Me Do It
"The Want To" —
"If the Jukebox Took Teardrops" —
1996 "I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down" — Edge of Night
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video
1994 "Hillbilly Jitters"
1996 "I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down"

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Recipient/Work Result Ref
2018 Grammy Awards Best Country Song Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton – "Broken Halos" Won
[41]
2018 Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton – "Broken Halos" Won
[42]
2021 Country Music Association Awards Song of the Year Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton – "Starting Over" Won
[43]

References

  1. ^ a b Thompson, Richard (September 29, 2023). "Mike Henderson passes". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Henderson Obituary". The Kansas City Star. September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. ^ Gray, Michael (1998). "Mike Henderson". In Kingsbury, Paul (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-977055-7. OCLC 707922721.
  4. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  5. ^ a b c "The Bel Airs Bio". The Bel Airs. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  6. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (March 5, 1999). "MIKE HENDERSON & THE BLUEBLOODS "Thicker Than Water" Dead Reckoning". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e Sherman, Jim (January 16, 1997). "Aw, Twern't Nuthin'". Houston Press. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Mike Henderson Bio". Mike Henderson. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  9. ^ a b c "About | The Bluebird Cafe". Bluebird Cafe. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  10. ^ "The Snakes – The Snakes". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  11. ^ Galipault, Gerry (January 10, 1999). "Mike Henderson & The Bluebloods swing the blues". Pause & Play. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d Cooper, Peter (November 17, 2011). "Peter Cooper on Music: A mandolin player ZZ Top can love". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Mike Henderson | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  14. ^ a b c Skelly, Richard. "Mike Henderson | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  15. ^ "Country Music Made Me Do It – Mike Henderson". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  16. ^ Cannon, Bob (May 6, 1994). "Country Music Made Me Do It Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  17. ^ Kening, Dan (May 12, 1994). "Mike Henderson Country Music Made Me Do It (RCA)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  18. ^ Cronin, Peter (March 26, 1994). "Album Reviews". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  19. ^ a b Margasak, Peter (April 11, 1996). "Mike Henderson". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  20. ^ "29 Nights – Danni Leigh". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  21. ^ "Edge of Night – Mike Henderson". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  22. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. March 2, 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  23. ^ Scherman, Tony (January 19, 1996). "Edge of Night Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  24. ^ Gettelman, Parry (January 26, 1996). "Mike Henderson". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  25. ^ Flippo, Chet (January 27, 1996). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  26. ^ "First Blood – Mike Henderson & The Bluebloods". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  27. ^ Margasak, Peter (January 9, 1997). "Mike Henderson & the Bluebloods". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  28. ^ a b Ray, Linda (March 1997). "Mike Henderson & The Bluebloods – First Blood". No Depression. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  29. ^ Nash, Alanna (October 18, 1996). "First Blood Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  30. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: First Blood". People. December 9, 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  31. ^ a b Byrkit, Becky. "Thicker Than Water – Mike Henderson & The Bluebloods". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  32. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Thicker Than Water". People. January 25, 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  33. ^ Kopp, Ed (August 1, 1999). "Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods: Thicker Than Water". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  34. ^ Steil, Tom (January 17, 1999). "Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods Thicker Than Water". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  35. ^ Lupton, John (January 2008). "The SteelDrivers put blue in bluegrass". Country Standard Time. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  36. ^ poet, j. "Reckless – SteelDrivers". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  37. ^ "Five artists under the radar at the Grammys". USA Today. February 7, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  38. ^ Lawless, John (December 21, 2011). "Mike Henderson moves on". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  39. ^ Hudak, Joseph (September 22, 2023). "Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton Co-Writer and the SteelDrivers Founder, Dead at 70". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  40. ^ "Mike Henderson Album & Song Chart History – Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  41. ^ "60th Annual GRAMMY Awards | 2017 | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  42. ^ "2018 CMA Award Winners". The CMA Awards. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  43. ^ "CMA Awards Past Winners & Nominees". CMA Awards. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
Kembali kehalaman sebelumnya