Joe Henderson

Joseph Turner Henderson (2 May 1920 – 4 May 1980), known as Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson, was a Scottish pianist, composer and recording artist who became well-known in Britain in the 1950s, with his entertainment career continuing into the 1960s and 1970s.

Early life Henderson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and taught to play the piano by his classically-trained mother. He formed his own band to perform at school dances and became a professional musician aged 13. He left the family home in Kirkcaldy at the age of 15, and played in dance bands.

Career After World War II, Henderson began working for the Peter Maurice publishing company. It was there that he met the singer Petula Clark in 1947.

She suggested that Henderson be allowed to record his own music, and in 1955, he enjoyed two top twenty UK singles chart hits on Polygon, "Sing It With Joe" and "Sing It Again With Joe", both medleys of vintage popular songs.

Henderson wrote the incidental music and several songs for three British films that featured Clark: Made In Heaven (1952), The Gay Dog (1954) and The Happiness of Three Women (1954).

In 1957, George Hamilton IV scored a hit with Henderson and Jack Fishman's composition "Why Don't They Understand", a song they wrote about Henderson's relationship with Clark. She later went on to record the song, with it being released in 1965. Other artists who have recorded it include Cliff Richard (1965), Patty Duke (1966), Frankie Avalon (1969), Bobby Vinton (1970) and The Williams Brothers (2002).

Henderson later penned "There's Nothing More To Say" about the split with Clark, which she subsequently recorded as an album track. In 1994, a previously unreleased 14-minute medley of Clark singing while accompanied by Henderson, recorded circa 1958, was found in the Pye Records vaults and released on a CD compilation of her recordings, The Nixa Years: Volume 2.

Henderson's biggest hit was "Trudie", which made number 14 in the UK Singles Chart,

Henderson was interviewed by Roy Plomley for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, broadcast on 15 July 1972, in which he talked about how he got into music, and the composing process.

Personal life and death On 27 November 1961, Henderson married 22-year old dancer Janet Munton-Buckel, known professionally as Janet Brunell, in secret at Caxton Hall, Westminster.

He subsequently married Joyce Greenaway, a singer and dancer, in Paignton, Devon, in September 1978. They had met when he was topping the bill at the Princess Theatre, Torquay, in a show she was a dancer in. She became his private secretary in 1971.

Henderson collapsed suddenly at his home after suffering from a heart attack on the morning of 4 May 1980, two days after his 60th birthday. Despite her efforts, his wife Joyce was unable to revive him.

Discography

Albums Dancing Cheek to Cheek (1959) – Pye Records NSPL 83006 Joe 'Mr Piano' Henderson (With Geoff Love & His Orchestra and the Williams Singers) (1961) – Pye Records Sing Along From the Shows (1962) – Parlophone PMC 1182 Winifred Atwell and Joe 'Mr Piano' Henderson – Party Time With Winnie and Joe (1962) – Pye Golden Guinea Join in With Joe (1966) – March Arch MAL 638 Plays Around the World (1967) – Marble Arch MAL 685 Greatest Pop Hits (1968) – Polydor The Hits of 1968 (1968) – Mercury Around The Piano With Joe Henderson and His Friends (1969) – Fontana SFL 13180 Sing-In (1969) – Mercury 20153SMCL Secret Love and Other Unforgettable Hits of the 50s (1972) – Columbia Two 369 Join in and Swingalong With (1974) – Spark SRLM 109 40 All Time Singalong Party Hits (1975) – Warwick Records

UK Singles Chart discography "Sing It With Joe" (June 1955) – Polygon P 1167 – No. 14 "Sing It Again With Joe" (September 1955) – Polygon P 1184 – UK No. 18 "Trudie" (July 1958) – Pye Nixa N 15147 – UK No. 14 "Treble Chance" (October 1959) – Pye 7N 1522 – UK No. 28 "Ooh! La! La!" (March 1960) – Pye 7N 1525 – UK No. 44