Remembering Clarence "Frogman" Henry: A Musical Legacy: REST IN PEACE!!
Date: NaT

Welcome back to my channel. Clarence Henry II born March 19, 1937. He passed away Sunday, 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). 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. The gimmick earned Henry his nickname of 'Frogman' and jump-started a career that endured until his death. Henry opened eighteen 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 nineteen years. He was married seven times, with all marriages ending in divorce. Henry's name could still draw hordes of tourists long after his hit-making days had ended. He died on April 7, 2024, at the age of 87. The Band recorded a version of Henry's 1956 song "Ain't Got No Home" for their 1973 album Moondog Matinee. 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. Clarence "Frogman" Henry, the New Orleans R&B singer whose 1956 hit “Ain’t Got No Home” showcased a vocal range that could soar to falsetto and plummet to the croak that provided his nickname, died Sunday. His death was announced by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation on social media. The very catchy song that rocketed Henry to nationwide fame would eventually secure its place among the era’s novelty classics. Born in New Orleans on March 19, 1937, Henry began playing piano as a child, picking up trombone and playing both instruments in his high school band. He played with local groups during and after high school, and was overheard singing in the jokey croak style by a Chess Records exec who encouraged Henry to record the song. While national fame was fleeting, Henry would maintain decades of popularity in New Orleans and among fans of R&B and Cajun-style music. It is with profound sadness that we share the news of Clarence Frogman Henry's passing. Please subscribe, comment, like, share and please follow for more content. If you would like to support my channel please send it to CashAPP:$Director327 thank you for your gift it is greatly appreciated. Thanks for Watching!!