Saturday, 9 August 2025

Willie Henderson born 9 August 1941


Willie Henderson (born August 9, 1941, in Pensacola, Florida) is an American R&B and soul musician and producer whose versatile talents can be heard throughout the Brunswick Records catalog as well as a myriad of sides recorded during the '60s-'70s heydays of Chicago soul. 

Born in Pensacola, Florida, Henderson's family moved to Chicago when he was a child. Taking up the baritone sax, he began backing Otis Rush and others while in his twenties. He also studied with another arranging legend, James Mack. After graduating from Crane Junior College, Henderson began playing around Chicago, backingOtis Rush,  Syl Johnson, Alvin Cash, and Harold Burrage while in his twenties. 

Henderson joined the Chicago branch division of New York-based Brunswick Records in 1968. Working with producer Carl Davis, Henderson arranged, produced, and played on records by the Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson, Tyrone Davis, The Artistics, Barbara Acklin, and other Brunswick acts. Henderson played on many of these records and also did some production work himself, especially for Tyrone Davis’ "Can I Change My Mind" and another gold single, "Turn Back the Hands of Time"; the following year, Henderson co-wrote Johnny Williams' "I Made a Mistake." Three years later, Williams hit with "Slow Motion (Part 1)," a Top Ten R&B single for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records. 


                                   

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. 

For the week ending July 13, 1974, funky instrumental "Dance Master Part 1" was at #95, and had been in the Cash Box Top 100 chart for two weeks. It entered the Record World Singles chart at #85 on June 22. "Dance Master" had also moved up from #65 to #53 on the Record World R&B Singles chart. 

In 1974, Henderson left Brunswick to become an independent producer> He produced Barbara Acklin's only charting, post-Brunswick singles and her LP A Place in the Sun. He began working with Essence, a male vocal group, and with songs written by Jim Peterek of Ides of March and later Survivor, Henderson got a deal for the group with Epic Records. The band released eight singles, with one 45 ("Sweet Fools") charting at number 91 R&B in the fall of 1975. Henderson produced funk band Magnum Force's album "Share My Love" with Carl Davis. 

Henderson continued working throughout the '70s, and during the '80s he released singles on his Now Sound label; by 1999, he had formed the Chicago Music Organization (CMO) in downtown Chicago and continued to produce, arrange, and occasionally perform with a band. In 2016 he was in the horn section of the Otis Rush tribute at the 2016 Chicago Blues Festival. 

(Edited from AllMusic & Wikipedia)

2 comments:

boppinbob said...

A big thank you goes to Denis for suggesting today’s birthday soul musician and for the loan of the album below.

For “Willie Henderson And The Soul Explosions – Funky Chicken (1970 Brunswick)” go here:

https://pixeldrain.com/u/FxuNFA4v

1. Can I Change My Mind.mp3"
2. Funky Chicken (Part 1).mp3"
3. Funky Chicken (Part 2).mp3"
4. Sugar Sugar.mp3"
5. Off Into A Black Thing.mp3"
6. Is It Something You've Got.mp3"
7. Instrumental (Part 1).mp3"
8. Instrumental (Part 2).mp3"
9. Dance Master (Part 1).mp3"
10. Dance Master (Part 2).mp3"
11. Break Your Back.mp3"
12. Soulful Football.mp3"
13. Oo Wee Baby I Love You.mp3"

The above playlist is the re-arranged and re-mastered version from 2012 for the streamers @320.
Here’s my contribution also from the streamers @ 192

For “Willie Henderson & Friends – Again (2004 New Sound”) go here:

https://pixeldrain.com/u/1QFsrWBZ

1 God Made Gay People Too
2 Take A Look At Yourself
3 God Made Gay People Too (Remix)
4 I Know It Must Be Love
5 Your Feet Stink (In Those Funky Gymshoes)
6 Steppin' In The Windy City
7 I Winked, She Smiled And Walked Away
8 Baby
9 Your Feet Stink (In Those Funky Gymshoes) (Instrumental)
10 First Love
11 Everybody's Stepping
12 Black Stars (Come Back Home)
13 Booty Bounce

OPTIONAL BONUS TRACKS (Omitted from the Funky Chicken playlist)

14. Windjammer
15. Loose Booty
16. Harlem

Vincemagzic said...

many thanks
Vince