Big Boy Henry
| Big Boy Henry | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Leslie Henry |
| Born |
May 26, 1921 Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina, United States |
| Died |
December 5, 2004 (aged 83) Beaufort, North Carolina, United States |
| Genres | Piedmont blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, human voice |
| Years active | 1940s–2004 |
| Labels | Audio Arts, Swingmaster, Hometown, Erwin, New Moon, Music Maker |
Richard Leslie Henry (born May 26, 1921 – December 5, 2004),[1] better known as Big Boy Henry, was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. His most notable recording was "Mr. President",[2] a protest against cuts in social welfare undertaken by Ronald Reagan. It won Henry a W.C. Handy Award.
Life and career
Henry was born in Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina, United States.[2]
Growing up on the North Carolina coast in the 1920s and 1930s, he befriended the country blues musician Fred Miller, and firstly as his apprentice and later his vocalist, Henry earned a small living performing at local juke joints and fish suppers. Miller later relocated to New York, with Henry making occasional trips there for joint performances. In New York, Henry met Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, which in 1951 led to Henry backing the duo. The recordings were canned and a dejected Henry returned to the Carolinas, having to find a living working on the local fishing and oystering crews throughout most of the 1950s and 1960s. During this period Henry also ran a grocery store, and undertook some part-time preaching.[3]
In 1971, he relocated back to Beaufort, where to his surprise younger musicians championed his musical ability. Despite arthritis affecting his guitar playing abilities, he improvised giving local musicians a challenging supporting role.[3]
Recorded in Greenville, South Carolina in the early 1980s for Cherry Red Records, Big Boy Henry's song, "Mr. President",[2] was meant as a protest against cuts in social welfare undertaken by Ronald Reagan. It won Henry a W.C. Handy Award in 1983. In 1995, he received the North Carolina Arts Council Heritage Award.[3] He recorded a number of self-released albums and singles in the 1980s and 1990s, often on cassette with only a limited audience.[2][4] He became a local revered figure, mainly due to his generous nature and support of other musicians.[5] Henry attempted to maintain and record the shanty songs sung by himself and others who fished menhaden for a living. This included the formation of the Menhaden Chantey Men, a singing and performing group of retired fisher-folk.[3] Towards the end of his life, the Music Maker Relief Foundation provided a monthly stipend for prescription medicine, and arranged for his album, Beaufort Blues, to be professionally produced.[6] He was featured in the book, Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America (2004).[7]
Henry died in his hometown in December 2004, at the age of 83.[2][3]
Discography
CD albums
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Poor Man's Blues | New Moon Records |
| 2005 | Beaufort Blues | Music Maker |
| 2010 | Carolina Blues Jam | Erwin Records (compilation album) |
References
- ↑ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 331. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Illustrated Big Boy Henry discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Eugene Chadbourne. "Big Boy Henry | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Big Boy Henry Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Photographic image of obituary" (JPG). Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Big Boy Henry Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc.Blues Artists". Musicmaker.org. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ Tim Duffy (ed.). Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America. Amazon.com. ISBN 9780974394701. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Big Boy Henry | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
