Willie Henderson (born August 9, 1941 in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

) is an American R&B and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

ian and producer.

Background

Henderson moved to Chicago with his family while still a child, and began playing the

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

. He gigged with local artists like

Otis Rush Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. With qualities similar to the styles of other 1950s art ...

Syl Johnson Sylvester Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson; July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American blues and soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes" (1967), " Is It Because I' ...

Alvin Cash Alvin Cash (born Alvin Welch; February 15, 1939 – November 21, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Cash was and a graduate of St. Louis's Sumner High School (also attended by Luther Ingram, Billy ...

, and

Harold Burrage Harold Edwin Burrage (March 30, 1931 – November 26, 1966) was an American blues and soul singer, pianist, songwriter, and record producer. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Burrage did session work as a pianist in the 1950s and 1960s a ...

while in his twenties, and began working for

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...

in 1968 as the label's Chicago studio bandleader. Henderson and producer

Carl Davis Carl Davis, (born October 28, 1936) is an American-born conductor and composer who has lived in the United Kingdom since 1961. He has written music for more than 100 television programmes, but is best known for creating music to accompany si ...

() did arrangements for musicians such as

Chi-Lites The Chi-Lites (, ) are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Forming at Chicago's Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group's original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones ...

Tyrone Davis Tyrone Davis (born Tyrone D. Fettson or Tyrone D. Branch, October 3, 1937 – February 9, 2005) was an American blues and soul singer with a long list of hit records over more than 20 years. Davis had three number 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' R ...

, The Artistics,

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

and

Barbara Acklin Barbara Jean Acklin (February 28, 1943 – November 27, 1998) was an American soul singer and songwriter, who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" (1968). As a songwriter, she is best ...

. Henderson played on many of these

records A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

and also did some production work himself, especially for Tyrone Davis, with whom he had a string of R&B and Hot 100 hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s on Brunswick subsidiary, Dakar. Henderson also released several singles, which included "Funky Chicken (Part I)", as Willie Henderson and the Soul Explosions (#22 R&B, #91 pop); the Lowrell Simon-written 1974 instrumental "Dance Master", "Break Your Back" and "Gangster Boogie Bump", on Playboy Records. He also released two albums on Brunswick in 1970 and 1974. Henderson left Brunswick in 1974 and began working independently as a producer. He produced the group

Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

for

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

and former Brunswick singer, Barbara Acklin for Capital Records.

Career

1970s

In 1970, Willie Henderson & The Soul Explosions had the single, "Funky Chicken (Part 1)" bw "Funky Chicken (Part 2)" released on Brunswick 755429. For the week ending February 7, 1970, Willie Henderson & the Soul Explosions' "Funky Chicken (Pt. 1)" had entered the ''Record World'' Top 50 R&B chart at #45. Also, on that week in the same chart, Rufus Thomas's single, "

Do the Funky Chicken "Do the Funky Chicken" is a song written and recorded by American R&B singer and entertainer Rufus Thomas for Stax Records in 1969. The song was used as the title track of Thomas' 1970 LP, ''Do The Funky Chicken''. It became one of his bigge ...

" had moved up from #41 to #26. It was also at #1 on the Nor Cal One Stop (San Francisco) chart, ahead of Rufus Thomas's version which was at #2. " Bridge over Troubled Water" by

Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

was at #3. Two singles that Henderson produced "Love Uprising" by

Otis Leavill Otis Leavill (February 8, 1937
Accessed 8 February 2010

(Dakar 620) and "Let Me Back In" by

(Dakar 621) were released in October, 1970. In a ''Record World'' article dated May 12, 1973, it was confirmed that Henderson had resigned from the Chicago branch of Brunswick Records where he held the positions of music director and producer. He was now heading his own production company, Now Sound Records. With nothing set in concrete for national distribution, he had taken on veteran record administrator Don Clay as his administration assistant. One role for Clay was to set policies for the new label. One new act he had already signed to his label was night club performer and singer, Ms. Azie Mortimer. Henderson was also releasing his own recording "Dance Master" on the label. For the week ending July 13, 1974, "Dance Master" was at #95, and had been in the Cash Box Top 100 chart for two weeks. He and

Hilltak Records Hilltak records was a Californian Independent record label that was formed in the late 1970s. Artists that produced hits for the label include 9th Creation, Patti Hendrix, Broadway (disco band), Broadway, Dalton & Dubarri, and The Guess Who. The l ...

president

Hillery Johnson Hillery Johnson was a record label owner, record producer, manager and songwriter and vice-president of a major record American record label. Background In 1966, Hilary Johnson along with Leo Austell and Archie Russell founded Brainstorm Records ...

put together a group called

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

that had four female singers, with the lead singer was Patti Williams. They were signed to the Hilltak label. He co-composed most of their album which was released on the label. In April, Broadway brought in another chart hit for Hilltak Records with Henderson's composition, "

This Funk is Made for Dancing This Funk Is Made For Dancing was the second hit for disco band Broadway on the Hilltak Label. Composed, arranged and produced by Willie Henderson. It made both the ''Billboard'' and ''Cash Box'' charts in 1979. Background Broadway's album was i ...

" which got to #83 on the R&B chart.''Music VF''.com
Broadway (American group) Top Songs
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1980s to 1990s

He continued to produce into the 1980s and occasionally self-releasing singles on his label, NowSound. He formed the

Chicago Music Organization (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1999.

later years

He still occasionally performs in the Chicago area.

Discography

With

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

*'' The London Bo Diddley Sessions'' (Chess, 1973) With

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

*'' Everything Is Everything'' (Atco, 1970) With

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

*'' Eddie Harris Sings the Blues'' (Atlantic, 1972)

References

Esternal links

Willie Henderson William Henderson (born 24 January 1944) is a Scottish people, Scottish retired association football, footballer. He played most of his career for Rangers F.C., Rangers, and spent the latter part of his career with Sheffield Wednesday F.C., She ...

at Allmusic.com
Discogs: Willie Henderson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Willie American soul musicians Musicians from Chicago Living people 1941 births