Dorris Henderson (February 2, 1933 – March 3, 2005) was an American-born, United Kingdom-based folk music singer and autoharp player.
Early years
Born in Lakeland, Florida but raised in
Los Angeles, she was the daughter of an African American clergyman and the granddaughter of a
Blackfoot Native American.
The blues musician,
Guitar Nubbit, was her uncle.
She initially worked as a
civil servant, but became interested in music after seeing a performance by
Odetta, at the folk venue Ash Grove.
She soon became a regular at
Sunset Boulevard's
jazz clubs and began to perform autoharp version of tunes from
Alan Lomax's
The Folk Songs of North America.
Henderson got her break when she met
Lord Buckley – who called her "the Lady Dorris"
["Lady Sang the Folk-Rock Blues", Record Collector, #497, October 2019, p.72] – and joined him for a series of stage shows in Hollywood, including an appearance singing "Rock of Ages" on one of Buckley's live albums,
In Concert.
Full-time music career
Having gained some recognition from her association with Buckley, Henderson decided to devote her attentions to music full-time and moved to New York City in order to do so, at a time when the city's Greenwich Village area was the centre of a boom in American folk music. Henderson quickly became a friend of leading scene figures such as Dave Van Ronk,
Fred Neil,
Paul Simon – becoming one of the first artists to cover Simon with her version of "Leaves That are Green" – and
Bob Dylan. She made a brief appearance in the latter's film
Dont Look Back.
Move to the UK
Henderson's brother served in
England with the United States Air Force and, following encouragement from him, she travelled to
London, staying at a hotel in the
Hampstead area.
Singing with her
autoharp, Henderson soon became a regular feature at The Troubadour, a centre of the
folk revival, later explaining that she sang folk ballads rather than
blues because she was "a city girl".
[ After meeting John Renbourn at The Roundhouse, she offered the young guitarist the chance to accompany her when she won a residency on the BBC2 television programme Gadzooks! It's All Happening, appearing alongside such stars of the time as Tom Jones and Sandie Shaw.][
]
Later years
Early in 1968, Henderson formed a rock music band, Tintagel, with Ian McDonald, later of King Crimson, but the band was not well received and soon disbanded.[ Later in 1968, Henderson replaced Kerrilee Male as the singer with the band Eclection, performing with them at the Isle of Wight Festival 1969. Following their demise she launched Dorris Henderson's Eclection with her son Eric Jones as guitarist.]
After marrying Mac McGann, formerly of the Levee Breakers, Henderson settled in Twickenham and largely retired from music, bar some jingle work and a few appearances with Bob Kerr.
Henderson died at Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham, in London, in 2005, from cardiac failure.
Discography
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With John Renbourn: There You Go Columbia SX 6001 1965
[Pohle, Horst (1987) The Folk Record Source Book; 2nd ed.; p. 198]
-
With John Renbourn: Watch the Stars Fontana TL 5385 1966
[Pohle, p. 198]
-
Rotterdam Blues SHR VR 108 (EP)
-
Here I Go Again Market Square MSMCD117 2003
