Jump to content

Clarence "Frogman" Henry: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
GreenC bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
2,517,507 edits
 
(48 intermediate revisions by 32 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American singer (1937–2024)}}
{{About|the rhythm and blues artist|other people with the same name|Clarence Henry (disambiguation){{!}}Clarence Henry}}
{{About|the rhythm and blues artist|other people with the same name|Clarence Henry (disambiguation){{!}}Clarence Henry}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2015}}
{{Sources|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Clarence "Frogman" Henry
| name = Clarence "Frogman" Henry
|image =
| image = Clarence "Frogman" Henry.jpg
|caption =
| caption = Henry in 1997
|image_size =
| image_size =
|background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Clarence Henry II
|birth_name = Clarence Henry II
| alias =
⚫
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|3|19|mf=y}}
|alias =
⚫
| birth_place = [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], U.S.
⚫
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|3|19|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|4|7|1937|3|19|mf=y}}
⚫
|birth_place = [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], United States
| death_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
| instrument = Vocals, piano
|instrument = Vocals, piano
| genre = [[Rhythm and blues]]
|genre = [[Rhythm and blues]]
| occupation = Musician
⚫
| years_active = 1952–2024
|occupation = Musician
⚫
| label = [[Argo Records|Argo]]
⚫
|years_active = 1952–present
⚫
| associated_acts =
⚫
|label = [[Argo Records|Argo]]
⚫
| current_members =
⚫
|associated_acts =
⚫
| past_members =
⚫
|current_members =
⚫
|past_members =
}}
}}


'''Clarence Henry II''' (born March 19, 1937), known as '''Clarence''' "'''Frogman'''" '''Henry''', is an American [[rhythm and blues]] singer and pianist, best known for his hits "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" (1956) and "[[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]]" (1961).<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |first= |last= |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p86008/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Bill Dahl |website=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref>
'''Clarence Henry II''' (March 19, 1937 – April 7, 2024), known as '''Clarence''' "'''Frogman'''" '''Henry''', was an American [[rhythm and blues]] singer and pianist, best known for his hits "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" (1956) and "[[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]]" (1961).<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p86008/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Bill Dahl |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=September 2, 2011}}</ref>


==Career==
==Life and career==
Clarence Henry was born in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], United States, in 1937, moving to the [[Algiers, New Orleans|Algiers]] neighborhood in 1948. He started learning piano as a child, with [[Fats Domino]] and [[Professor Longhair]] being his main influences. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides. He joined [[Bobby Mitchell (singer)|Bobby Mitchell & the Toppers]] in 1952, playing piano and trombone, before leaving when he graduated in 1955 to join saxophonist Eddie Smith's band.<ref name="AMG"/><ref name=rockabilly>[http://www.rockabillyhall.com/frogman.html "Clarence "Frogman" Henry: An R&B Legend!", ''Rockabilly Hall of Fame'']. Retrieved 12 October 2016</ref>
Clarence Henry was born in [[New Orleans]] on March 19, 1937. In 1948 he moved to the [[Algiers, New Orleans|Algiers]] neighborhood, where he resided for the rest of his life.<ref name = Spera>{{cite news|url = https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/keith_spera/new-orleans-singer-clarence-frogman-henry-has-died/article_d94ed3f0-f5b4-11ee-be0c-239705e5cc9d.html|title = New Orleans singer Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, of 'Ain't Got No Home' fame, has died|last = Spera|first = Keith|date = April 8, 2024|accessdate = April 8, 2024|newspaper = [[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate|Nola.com]]}}</ref> He started learning piano as a child, with [[Fats Domino]] and [[Professor Longhair]] his main influences. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides. He joined [[Bobby Mitchell (singer)|Bobby Mitchell & the Toppers]] in 1952, playing piano and trombone, and left when he graduated in 1955 to join saxophonist Eddie Smith's band.<ref name="AMG"/><ref name=rockabilly>[http://www.rockabillyhall.com/frogman.html "Clarence "Frogman" Henry: An R&B Legend!", ''Rockabilly Hall of Fame''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403003324/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/frogman.html |date=April 3, 2016 }}. Retrieved October 12, 2016</ref>


He used his trademark croak to improvise the song "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" one night in 1955. [[Chess Records]]' [[artists and repertoire|A&R]] man [[Paul Gayten]] heard the song, and had Henry record it in [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s studio in September 1956. Initially promoted by local DJ Poppa Stoppa, the song eventually rose to number 3 on the national [[R&B]] chart and number 20 on the US pop chart.<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research |page=190}}</ref> The [[gimmick]] earned Henry his nickname of 'Frogman' and jump-started a career that endures to this day.<ref name="AMG"/>
Henry used his trademark croak to improvise the song "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" one night in 1955. [[Chess Records]] [[artists and repertoire|A&R]] man [[Paul Gayten]] heard the song, and had Henry record it in [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s studio in September 1956. Initially promoted by local DJ Poppa Stoppa, the song eventually rose to number 3 on the national [[R&B]] chart and number 20 on the US pop chart.<ref name="whitburnr&b">{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=1996 |publisher=Record Research |page=190}}</ref> The [[gimmick]] earned Henry his nickname of 'Frogman' and jump-started a career that endured until his death.<ref name="AMG"/>


He toured nationally with a six-piece band until 1958, and continued to record.<ref name=rockabilly/> A cover of [[Bobby Charles]]' hit "[[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]]", and "[[You Always Hurt the One You Love]]", both from 1961, were his other big hits.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
Henry toured nationally with a six-piece band until 1958 and continued to record.<ref name=rockabilly/> A cover of [[Bobby Charles]]' hit "[[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]]", and "[[You Always Hurt the One You Love]]", both from 1961, were his other big hits.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| last= Roberts
Line 41: Line 42:
| page= 251}}</ref>
| page= 251}}</ref>
Henry opened eighteen concerts for [[the Beatles]] across the US and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from the [[Bourbon Street]] strip in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], where he played for nineteen years.<ref name="AMG"/> His name could still draw hordes of tourists long after his hit-making days had ended. He still plays at various conventions, including the [[New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival]].
He opened 18 concerts for [[the Beatles]] across the US and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from New Orleans's [[Bourbon Street]] strip, where he played for 19 years.<ref name="AMG"/>

==Private life and death==
Henry was married seven times, with all his marriages ending in divorce.<ref name = Spera/> He had ten children.<ref name = Pareles>{{cite web|title=Clarence Henry, New Orleans R&B Star Known as the Frogman, Dies at 87|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/arts/music/clarence-henry-dead.html|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=April 9, 2024|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>

He died in New Orleans on April 7, 2024, at the age of 87, from complications after surgery.<ref name = Pareles/> Henry continued to perform into his last years and had been scheduled to appear at the 2024 [[New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival]] later that month.<ref name = Spera/><ref>{{cite news |title=Clarence "Frogman" Henry passes away |url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/clarence-frogman-henry-new-orleans-musician-passes-away/289-e4b1a469-f855-4726-ab8d-4d0f71b68a07 |access-date=April 8, 2024 |publisher=WWLTV |date=April 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/04/clarence-frogman-henry-dead-1235878749/|title=Clarence "Frogman" Henry Dies: 'Ain't Got No Home' Singer Was 87|first=Greg|last=Evans|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=April 8, 2024}}</ref>


==Honors ==
==Honors ==
Line 47: Line 53:


== Covers and re-use of Henry's hits ==
== Covers and re-use of Henry's hits ==
[[The Band]] recorded a version of Henry's 1956 song "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" for their 1973 album ''[[Moondog Matinee]]''. It was also used in a famous bathtub scene in the cult movie ''[[The Lost Boys]]'' with actor [[Corey Haim]] singing along to it.
[[The Band]] recorded a version of Henry's 1956 song "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]" for their 1973 album ''[[Moondog Matinee]]''. It was also used in the cult movie ''[[The Lost Boys]]'' with actor [[Corey Haim]] singing along to it.


On his 1981 ''[[Live/Indian Summer]]'' album, [[Al Stewart]] introduced his song "[[Year of the Cat (song)|Year of the Cat]]" with an odd anecdote about a mistaken-identity encounter involving Henry, [[Audrey Hepburn]], and [[G. Gordon Liddy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golyr.de/al-stewart/songtext-clarence-frogman-henry-504485.html |title=Al Stewart – Clarence Frogman Henry Lyrics |publisher=Golyr.de |date= |accessdate=2015-07-17}}</ref> Henry's original song was later featured on the soundtrack of the 1982 film ''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]''. [[Rod Stewart]] uses the chorus of "Ain't Got No Home" in his 1984 single "[[Some Guys Have All the Luck]]". It achieved fresh notoriety in the 1990s through its use as the "Homeless Update" [[theme music]] on ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show]]'', and is still used as recently as December 7, 2017.
On his 1981 ''[[Live/Indian Summer]]'' album, [[Al Stewart]] introduced his song "[[Year of the Cat (song)|Year of the Cat]]" with an odd anecdote about a mistaken-identity encounter involving Henry, [[Audrey Hepburn]], and [[G. Gordon Liddy]] wearing an [[Elvis Presley]] mask.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golyr.de/al-stewart/songtext-clarence-frogman-henry-504485.html |title=Al Stewart – Clarence Frogman Henry Lyrics |publisher=Golyr.de |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>


Henry's original song was later featured on the soundtrack of the 1982 film ''[[Diner (1982 film)|Diner]]''. It is also heard in a scene where Shrevie ([[Daniel Stern (actor)|Daniel Stern]]) is listening to it on his car radio and singing along.
⚫
This song is also in the 1995 movie ''[[Casino (film)|Casino]]'' playing in the background as Joe Pesci asks Robert De Niro for a 50K chip marker. [[Jimmy Buffett]] referenced Henry in his song "Saxophones".<ref>{{Cite news

[[Rod Stewart]] used the chorus of "Ain't Got No Home" in his 1984 single "[[Some Guys Have All the Luck]]".

"Ain't Got No Home" achieved fresh notoriety in the 1990s through its use as the "Homeless Update" [[theme music]] on ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show]]'', and was used as recently as December 7, 2017. Henry credited Limbaugh with boosting his royalties and performed on a Caribbean cruise with him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Gary |date=March 20, 2023 |title=Gary James' Interview with Clarence "Frogman" Henry |url=http://www.classicbands.com/ClarenceFrogmanHenryInterview.html|website=Classicbands.com}}</ref>

⚫
The song also appears in the 1995 movie ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]],'' playing in the background as Joe Pesci asks Robert De Niro for a 50K chip marker. [[Jimmy Buffett]] referenced Henry in his song "Saxophones".<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Burdeau
| last = Burdeau
| first = Cain
| first = Cain
| author-link =
| last2 =
| first2 =
| author2-link =
| title = New Orleans 'Frogman,' still jumpin' at 66
| title = New Orleans 'Frogman,' still jumpin' at 66
| newspaper = Associated Press
| newspaper = Associated Press
| pages =
| date = October 5, 2003
| date = October 5, 2003
| url = http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/100603/mus_LB0291-0.shtml
| url = http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/100603/mus_LB0291-0.shtml
}}
}}
</ref> Henry made a cameo appearance on the third season opening episode of the HBO series ''[[Treme (TV series)|Treme]]''.
</ref> Henry made a cameo appearance on the third season opening episode of the HBO series ''[[Treme (TV series)|Treme]]''.


His 1961 hit, [[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]], has been covered by [[Bobby Vinton]] in 1972 in a pop version. It is also being used in a 2019 commercial for [[Expedia]], showcasing its ability to provide dog-friendly hotel accommodations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ispot.tv/ad/ovRb/expedia-pet-friendly-spa-weekend-song-by-clarence-frogman-henry|title=Expedia TV Commercial, 'Pet Friendly Spa Weekend' Song by Clarence "Frogman" Henry|website=iSpot.tv}}</ref>
Henry's 1961 hit, "[[(I Don't Know Why) But I Do]]", was covered by [[Bobby Vinton]] in 1972 in a pop version. It was also used in a 2019 commercial for [[Expedia]]'s dog-friendly hotel accommodations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ispot.tv/ad/ovRb/expedia-pet-friendly-spa-weekend-song-by-clarence-frogman-henry|title=Expedia TV Commercial, 'Pet Friendly Spa Weekend' Song by Clarence "Frogman" Henry|website=iSpot.tv}}</ref>

==Material loss==
On June 25, 2019, ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'' listed Clarence "Frogman" Henry among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the [[2008 Universal fire]].<ref name="Rosen2">{{cite news|last1=Rosen |first1=Jody |title=Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/magazine/universal-music-fire-bands-list-umg.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=28 June 2019 |date=25 June 2019}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center;
|-
!Year
!Album
![[Record label|Record Label]]
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1961
|align=left| ''You Always Hurt the One You Love''
|rowspan=""| [[Argo Records|Argo]]
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1962
|align=left| ''Bourbon St. New Orleans''
|rowspan=""| CFH
|-
|rowspan="1"| 1970
|align=left| ''Clarence (Frogman) Henry is Alive and Well Living in New Orleans and Still Doin' His Thing...''
|rowspan=""| [[Roulette Records|Roulette]]
|-
|}

===Singles===
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Line 77: Line 102:
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single (A-side, B-side)
! rowspan="2"| Single (A-side, B-side)
! colspan="3"| Chart Positions
! colspan="4"| Chart Positions
|-
|-
! width="40"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US Pop]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition=1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/311 311]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/311}}</ref>
! width="40"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US Pop]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition=1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/311 311]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/311}}</ref>
! width="40"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<ref name="whitburnr&b"/>
! width="40"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<ref name="whitburnr&b"/>
! width="40"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<ref name="betts">{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=92}}</ref>
! width="40"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<ref name="betts">{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=92}}</ref>
! width="40"| [[CHUM Chart|CAN]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/chumtribute-charts-61.html| title=CHUM Hit Parade - 1961|website=Chumtribute.com}}</ref>
|-
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1956
| rowspan="1"| 1956
Line 87: Line 113:
| 20
| 20
| 3
| 3
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1957
| rowspan="2"| 1957
| align="left"| "Lonely Tramp"<br>b/w "I'm A Country Boy"
| align="left"| "Lonely Tramp"<br>b/w "I'm A Country Boy"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 96: Line 124:
|-
|-
| align="left"| "It Won't Be Long"<br>b/w "I Found A Home"
| align="left"| "It Won't Be Long"<br>b/w "I Found A Home"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 102: Line 131:
| 1958
| 1958
| align="left"| "I'm In Love"<br>b/w "Baby, Baby Please"
| align="left"| "I'm In Love"<br>b/w "Baby, Baby Please"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 111: Line 141:
| 9
| 9
| 3
| 3
| 2
|-
|-
| align="left"| "[[You Always Hurt the One You Love]]"<br>b/w "Little Suzy"
| align="left"| "[[You Always Hurt the One You Love]]"<br>b/w "Little Suzy"
Line 116: Line 147:
| 11
| 11
| 6
| 6
| 4
|-
|-
| align="left"| "Lonely Street"<br>b/w "Why Can't You"
| align="left"| "[[Lonely Street (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Lonely Street]]"<br>b/w "Why Can't You"
| 57
| 57
| 19
| 19
| 42
| 42
| -
|-
|-
| align="left"| "On Bended Knees"<br>b/w "Standing In The Need Of Love"
| align="left"| "On Bended Knees"<br>b/w "Standing In The Need Of Love"
| 64
| 64 / 109
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 130: Line 164:
| align="left"| "A Little Too Much"<br>b/w "I Wish I Could Say The Same"
| align="left"| "A Little Too Much"<br>b/w "I Wish I Could Say The Same"
| 77
| 77
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|-
|-
| align="left"| "Dream Myself A Sweetheart"<br>b/w "Lost Without You"
| align="left"| "Dream Myself A Sweetheart"<br>b/w "Lost Without You"
| 112
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 139: Line 175:
|-
|-
| align="left"| "The Jealous Kind"<br>b/w "Come On and Dance"
| align="left"| "The Jealous Kind"<br>b/w "Come On and Dance"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 145: Line 182:
| rowspan="1"|1963
| rowspan="1"|1963
| align="left"| "It Takes Two To Tango"<br>b/w "If I Didn't Care"
| align="left"| "It Takes Two To Tango"<br>b/w "If I Didn't Care"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 151: Line 189:
| rowspan="2"|1964
| rowspan="2"|1964
| align="left"| "Looking Back"<br>b/w "Long Lost and Worried"
| align="left"| "Looking Back"<br>b/w "Long Lost and Worried"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 156: Line 195:
|-
|-
| align="left"| "Have You Ever Been Lonely"<br>b/w "Little Green Frog"
| align="left"| "Have You Ever Been Lonely"<br>b/w "Little Green Frog"
| 135
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 162: Line 202:
| rowspan="2"|1965
| rowspan="2"|1965
| align="left"| "You Can't Hide A Tear"<br>b/w "I Told My Pillow"
| align="left"| "You Can't Hide A Tear"<br>b/w "I Told My Pillow"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 167: Line 208:
|-
|-
| align="left"| "Tore Up Over You"<br>b/w "I Might As Well"
| align="left"| "Tore Up Over You"<br>b/w "I Might As Well"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 173: Line 215:
| rowspan="2"|1966
| rowspan="2"|1966
| align="left"| "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]"<small> (re-recorded version)</small><br>b/w "Baby Ain't That Love"
| align="left"| "[[Ain't Got No Home (Clarence "Frogman" Henry song)|Ain't Got No Home]]"<small> (re-recorded version)</small><br>b/w "Baby Ain't That Love"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 178: Line 221:
|-
|-
| align="left"| "Cajun Honey"<br>b/w "Think It Over"
| align="left"| "Cajun Honey"<br>b/w "Think It Over"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 184: Line 228:
| rowspan="1"|1967
| rowspan="1"|1967
| align="left"| "Hummin' A Heartache"<br>b/w "This Time"
| align="left"| "Hummin' A Heartache"<br>b/w "This Time"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 190: Line 235:
| rowspan="1"|1968
| rowspan="1"|1968
| align="left"| "That's When I Guessed"<br>b/w "Shake Your Moneymaker"
| align="left"| "That's When I Guessed"<br>b/w "Shake Your Moneymaker"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 195: Line 241:
|-
|-
| rowspan="1"|1983
| rowspan="1"|1983
| align="left"| "The Old Piano"<br>b/w "Keep Your Hands Off Her"
| align="left"| "That Old Piano"<br>b/w "Keep Your Hands Off Her"
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
Line 205: Line 252:
| -
| -
| 65
| 65
| -
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 214: Line 262:
* [http://www.neworleansfrogman.com Neworleansfrogman.com]
* [http://www.neworleansfrogman.com Neworleansfrogman.com]
* [http://www.tsimon.com/henry.htm Tsimon.com]
* [http://www.tsimon.com/henry.htm Tsimon.com]
* {{imdb name|2012536}}
* {{discogs artist|Clarence "Frogman" Henry}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
Line 219: Line 269:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Clarence Frogman}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Clarence Frogman}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male singers]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues musicians]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues musicians]]
[[Category:Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:Argo Records artists]]
[[Category:Cadet Records artists]]
[[Category:Cadet Records artists]]
[[Category:Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:Singers from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Singers from Louisiana]]

Latest revision as of 01:04, 18 November 2024

This article is about the rhythm and blues artist. For other people with the same name, see Clarence Henry.

Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Henry in 1997
Henry in 1997
Background information
Birth nameClarence Henry II
Born(1937-03-19)March 19, 1937
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedApril 7, 2024(2024-04-07) (aged 87)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresRhythm and blues
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active1952–2024
LabelsArgo

Clarence Henry II (March 19, 1937 – April 7, 2024), known as Clarence "Frogman" Henry, was an American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, best known for his hits "Ain't Got No Home" (1956) and "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" (1961).[1]

Life and career

[edit]

Clarence Henry was born in New Orleans on March 19, 1937. In 1948 he moved to the Algiers neighborhood, where he resided for the rest of his life.[2] He started learning piano as a child, with Fats Domino and Professor Longhair his main influences. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides. He joined Bobby Mitchell & the Toppers in 1952, playing piano and trombone, and left when he graduated in 1955 to join saxophonist Eddie Smith's band.[1][3]

Henry used his trademark croak to improvise the song "Ain't Got No Home" one night in 1955. Chess Records A&R man Paul Gayten heard the song, and had Henry record it in Cosimo Matassa's studio in September 1956. Initially promoted by local DJ Poppa Stoppa, the song eventually rose to number 3 on the national R&B chart and number 20 on the US pop chart.[4] The gimmick earned Henry his nickname of 'Frogman' and jump-started a career that endured until his death.[1]

Henry toured nationally with a six-piece band until 1958 and continued to record.[3] A cover of Bobby Charles' hit "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do", and "You Always Hurt the One You Love", both from 1961, were his other big hits.[5]

He opened 18 concerts for the Beatles across the US and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from New Orleans's Bourbon Street strip, where he played for 19 years.[1]

Private life and death

[edit]

Henry was married seven times, with all his marriages ending in divorce.[2] He had ten children.[6]

He died in New Orleans on April 7, 2024, at the age of 87, from complications after surgery.[6] Henry continued to perform into his last years and had been scheduled to appear at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival later that month.[2][7][8]

Honors

[edit]

Henry's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In April 2007, Henry was honored for his contributions to Louisiana music with induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Covers and re-use of Henry's hits

[edit]

The Band recorded a version of Henry's 1956 song "Ain't Got No Home" for their 1973 album Moondog Matinee. It was also used in the cult movie The Lost Boys with actor Corey Haim singing along to it.

On his 1981 Live/Indian Summer album, Al Stewart introduced his song "Year of the Cat" with an odd anecdote about a mistaken-identity encounter involving Henry, Audrey Hepburn, and G. Gordon Liddy wearing an Elvis Presley mask.[9]

Henry's original song was later featured on the soundtrack of the 1982 film Diner. It is also heard in a scene where Shrevie (Daniel Stern) is listening to it on his car radio and singing along.

Rod Stewart used the chorus of "Ain't Got No Home" in his 1984 single "Some Guys Have All the Luck".

"Ain't Got No Home" achieved fresh notoriety in the 1990s through its use as the "Homeless Update" theme music on The Rush Limbaugh Show, and was used as recently as December 7, 2017. Henry credited Limbaugh with boosting his royalties and performed on a Caribbean cruise with him.[10]

The song also appears in the 1995 movie Casino, playing in the background as Joe Pesci asks Robert De Niro for a 50K chip marker. Jimmy Buffett referenced Henry in his song "Saxophones".[11] Henry made a cameo appearance on the third season opening episode of the HBO series Treme.

Henry's 1961 hit, "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do", was covered by Bobby Vinton in 1972 in a pop version. It was also used in a 2019 commercial for Expedia's dog-friendly hotel accommodations.[12]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
Year Album Record Label
1961 You Always Hurt the One You Love Argo
1962 Bourbon St. New Orleans CFH
1970 Clarence (Frogman) Henry is Alive and Well Living in New Orleans and Still Doin' His Thing... Roulette

Singles

[edit]
Year Single (A-side, B-side) Chart Positions
US Pop[13] US
R&B[4] 		UK[14] CAN[15]
1956 "Ain't Got No Home"
b/w "Troubles, Troubles" 		20 3 - -
1957 "Lonely Tramp"
b/w "I'm A Country Boy" 		- - - -
"It Won't Be Long"
b/w "I Found A Home" 		- - - -
1958 "I'm In Love"
b/w "Baby, Baby Please" 		- - - -
1961 "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"
b/w "Just My Baby and Me" 		4 9 3 2
"You Always Hurt the One You Love"
b/w "Little Suzy" 		12 11 6 4
"Lonely Street"
b/w "Why Can't You" 		57 19 42 -
"On Bended Knees"
b/w "Standing In The Need Of Love" 		64 / 109 - - -
1962 "A Little Too Much"
b/w "I Wish I Could Say The Same" 		77 - - -
"Dream Myself A Sweetheart"
b/w "Lost Without You" 		112 - - -
"The Jealous Kind"
b/w "Come On and Dance" 		- - - -
1963 "It Takes Two To Tango"
b/w "If I Didn't Care" 		- - - -
1964 "Looking Back"
b/w "Long Lost and Worried" 		- - - -
"Have You Ever Been Lonely"
b/w "Little Green Frog" 		135 - - -
1965 "You Can't Hide A Tear"
b/w "I Told My Pillow" 		- - - -
"Tore Up Over You"
b/w "I Might As Well" 		- - - -
1966 "Ain't Got No Home" (re-recorded version)
b/w "Baby Ain't That Love" 		- - - -
"Cajun Honey"
b/w "Think It Over" 		- - - -
1967 "Hummin' A Heartache"
b/w "This Time" 		- - - -
1968 "That's When I Guessed"
b/w "Shake Your Moneymaker" 		- - - -
1983 "That Old Piano"
b/w "Keep Your Hands Off Her" 		- - - -
1993 "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"
b/w "Ain't Got No Home"
A-side chart reentry 		- - 65 -

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Biography by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Spera, Keith (April 8, 2024). "New Orleans singer Clarence 'Frogman' Henry, of 'Ain't Got No Home' fame, has died". Nola.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Clarence "Frogman" Henry: An R&B Legend!", Rockabilly Hall of Fame Archived April 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 12, 2016
  4. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 190.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 251. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (April 9, 2024). "Clarence Henry, New Orleans R&B Star Known as the Frogman, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Clarence "Frogman" Henry passes away". WWLTV. April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Evans, Greg (April 8, 2024). "Clarence "Frogman" Henry Dies: 'Ain't Got No Home' Singer Was 87". Deadline Hollywood.
  9. ^ "Al Stewart – Clarence Frogman Henry Lyrics". Golyr.de. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  10. ^ James, Gary (March 20, 2023). "Gary James' Interview with Clarence "Frogman" Henry". Classicbands.com.
  11. ^ Burdeau, Cain (October 5, 2003). "New Orleans 'Frogman,' still jumpin' at 66". Associated Press.
  12. ^ "Expedia TV Commercial, 'Pet Friendly Spa Weekend' Song by Clarence "Frogman" Henry". iSpot.tv.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 311. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  14. ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 92. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
  15. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - 1961". Chumtribute.com.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clarence_%22Frogman%22_Henry&oldid=1258076689"