Biography.guide
Home › People › Musician › Henry Clay Goodwin
Portrait of Henry Clay Goodwin

Henry Clay Goodwin

1910 – 1979

American musician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Henry Clay Goodwin

Lived 1910 – 1979 (aged 69). Henry Clay Goodwin was an American musician.

Henry Clay Goodwin (January 2, 1910, Columbia, South Carolina – July 2, 1979, New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Goodwin learned to play drums and tuba in addition to trumpet while in high school in Washington, DC. He accompanied Claude Hopkins in Europe in 1925, and later in the 1920s he played with Cliff Jackson and Elmer Snowden. During the 1930s, he was with Lucky Millinder, Willie Bryant, Charlie Johnson, Cab Calloway, Kenny Clarke, and Edgar Hayes. Goodwin was primarily with Sidney Bechet and Cecil Scott during World War II, but he turned his focus away from big band ensembles after 1944, working with Scott in small groups as well as with Art Hodes, Mezz Mezzrow, and Bob Wilber. In the 1950s, he played with Jimmy Archey and Earl Hines, and occasionally with Dixieland revival groups during the 1960s.

Gunther Schuller described Goodwin as "a most assured swing stylist and specialist in the plunger and growl."

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in Henry Clay Goodwin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Henry Clay Goodwin's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry Clay Goodwin?

American musician (1910-1979)

When was Henry Clay Goodwin born?

Henry Clay Goodwin was born on 2 January 1910 in Columbia.

When did Henry Clay Goodwin die?

Henry Clay Goodwin died on 2 July 1979 in New York City.

What was Henry Clay Goodwin's occupation?

Henry Clay Goodwin was a musician.

What nationality was Henry Clay Goodwin?

Henry Clay Goodwin was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Henry Clay Goodwin

· Wikidata: Q15815151

· DBpedia: Henry Goodwin (musician)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Clay Goodwin. https://biography.guide/henry-clay-goodwin/

MLA: "Henry Clay Goodwin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-clay-goodwin/.

Chicago: "Henry Clay Goodwin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-clay-goodwin/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:05 UTC