Chick Henderson (22 November 1912 – 24 June 1944) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

singer who achieved popularity and acclaim as a prolific recording artist and performer of the

British dance band British dance band is a genre of popular jazz and dance music that developed in British dance halls and hotel ballrooms during the 1920s and 1930s, often called a Golden Age of British music, prior to the Second World War. Thousands of mile ...

era in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Chick Henderson was born Henderson Rowntree in Hartlepool,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He attended Galleys Field School on Hartlepool Headland. "Chick" was nothing more than his mother's nickname for her smallest son. His first recordings were made for

Harry Leader Henry George Leader (March 10, 1880 – May 9, 1946) was a politician, farmer, and cattle breeder from Manitoba, Canada. Leader served as a councillor in the township of Burnside, Manitoba, from 1906 to 1912 and was reeve from 1912 to 1914 as w ...

in June 1935. The following year he began singing for

Joe Loss Sir Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss (22 June 1909 – 6 June 1990) was a British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra. Life Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Isr ...

' popular radio orchestra. He stayed with Loss for five years and became a great favourite among young women who formed his core audience. A tall, handsome man with a rich, strong vocal delivery, he appeared on postcards and magazine covers. In his short life, Chick Henderson made over 250 recordings but, as with many big band singers, his name did not appear on the record label—only the orchestra was listed. In July 1939, he recorded with Joe Loss' orchestra what would become his biggest-selling recording "

Begin the Beguine "Begin the Beguine" is a popular song written by Cole Porter. Porter composed the song between Kalabahi, Indonesia, and Fiji during a 1935 Pacific cruise aboard Cunard's ocean liner ''Franconia''. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Kni ...

", which sold over a million copies, the only recording by a 1930s vocalist to achieve such a triumph. Chick Henderson's five-year singing career came to an end with his final recordings in 1940. Less than a year following the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in September 1939, he began serving in the Merchant Navy. He survived two torpedo attacks on his ships, but after four years of service, sustained fatal wounds in

Southsea Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre. Southsea is not a separate town as all of Portsea Island's s ...

from flying bomb shrapnel. Chick Henderson was 31 years old. A Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, on strength of HMS ''Victory'' at time of his death, he was buried in

Haslar Haslar is on the south coast of England, at the southern tip of Alverstoke, on the Gosport peninsula, Hampshire. It takes its name from the Old English , meaning " hazel-landing place". It may have been named after a bank of hazel strewn on ma ...

Royal Naval Cemetery under his real name.
CWGC Casualty Record.

References

External links

*
Chick Henderson biography with publicity photoBrief overview of Chick Henderson's life and career
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Chick 1912 births 1944 deaths Military personnel from County Durham People from West Hartlepool English radio personalities British entertainers Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II British Merchant Navy personnel of World War II Deaths by airstrike during World War II Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II