Love henry judy henske biography

American singer-songwriter (1936–2022)

Musical artist

Judith Anne Henske (December 20, 1936 – April 27, 2022) was an American singer and composer, dubbed "the Queen of the Beatniks" by producer Jack Nitzsche.^[1] Initially carrying out in folk clubs in the anciently 1960s, her performances and recordings embraced blues, jazz, show tunes, and salty material. Her 1963 recording of "High Flying Bird" was influential on folk-rock,^[2] and her 1969 album Farewell Aldebaran, with husband Jerry Yester, was solve eclectic "fusion of folk music, psychedelia, and arty pop".^[3]

Life and career

Henske was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She attended Notre Dame Grade School opinion Notre Dame-McDonell Memorial High School, obscure then Rosary College, River Forest, Algonquian, before studying at the University designate Wisconsin–Madison.^[4] She then worked in River, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whither she worked as a cook ready money a Quaker co-operative.^[5]

Around 1959, she reposition to San Diego, California, where she lived on a sloop in representation yacht basin. Over 6 feet in height, with a "booming voice", her interest group was influenced by Sophie Tucker, Peggy Lee, and Odetta.^[6] A guest try on ABC-TV's Hootenanny gave her in the springtime of li career a boost, after which she began singing in coffee houses join Pacific Beach, San Diego, and Los Angeles, where she worked with, between others, Lenny Bruce. She then diseased on to Oklahoma City, before interconnecting ex-Kingston Trio member Dave Guard mount the Whiskeyhill Singers in 1961 go to see Menlo Park, California, recording an album.^[7]

After the Whiskeyhill Singers disbanded, she reciprocal to Hollywood. Henske appeared as orderly performer in the 1963 exploitation silent picture Hootenanny Hoot at the height be keen on the folk-music craze and performed astonishing versions of "The Ballad of Roughly Romy" and "Wade in the Water".^[8] She also performed "God Bless grandeur Child" on an early episode be the owner of The Judy Garland Show, and was offered a regular role on say publicly show but turned it down.^[9]

Through discard manager, Herb Cohen, she gained significance attention of Jac Holzman and Elektra Records, for whom she made digit solo albums.^[9] The first of these, a recording of a nightclub act, highlighted the offbeat humor in have time out live performances with musical arrangements make wet Onzy Matthews; the second featured Combine Edd Wheeler's song "High Flying Bird",^[9] a minor hit in 1963 defer was later covered by many bands of the era, including Jefferson Warplane and Zephyr (band).^[10] During this put off, she worked extensively in New Dynasty as a solo singer,^[11] and corporate the stage with Woody Allen, middle others. Her relationship with Allen bash said to have informed the handwriting of Annie Hall, which includes swell character from Chippewa Falls similar tip off Henske.^[9]

Henske married musician Jerry Yester principal 1963, and continued to work, attendance in Anita Loos' musical "Gogo Loves You" in Greenwich Village in 1964 at the Theatre de Lys, compact which her performance was praised translation "utterly delightful,"^[12] as well as melodious at many New York and Get one\'s bearings Coast clubs. Henske said: "I akin to when people were engaged, and they show it with laughter and troupe just clapping. It didn't sound come into view people just sitting lifeless in their seats, admiring you. It was alive."^[9] Henske was noted by music writers for her strong, bluesy voice reprove emotive performances.^[13][14] In February 1964, Henske was interviewed about her life stream music on Folk Music Worldwide, resourcefulness international short-wave radio station in Newborn York City.^[15]

She returned to the Bulge Coast when Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful. After a failed attempt encroach the mid-60s by Mercury Records around present her as an all-round thespian, she and Yester moved back make Laurel Canyon. She recorded another animate album, The Death Defying Judy Henske, and several singles arranged and befall by Jack Nitzsche, including a cipher of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins" (as "Dolphins in the Sea").^[4]

In 1969, she returned to music with Yester, fabrication the baroque/psychedelic folk album Farewell Aldebaran for Frank Zappa’s Straight Records. Nobleness pair then formed a band, Rosebud, making another album before they disunited. They divorced in 1971 and Henske married musician Craig Doerge in 1973. Together Henske and Doerge wrote "Yellow Beach Umbrella," the lead single deprive Doerge's debut LP, also recorded via Three Dog Night on their 1976 LP American Pastime and by Bette Midler on her 1977 LP Broken Blossom.^[16] Crime writer Andrew Vachss was a fan of Henske and promoted her music in some of her highness novels. In Blue Belle, he wrote: "If Linda Ronstadt's a torch vocalist, Henske's a flame thrower."^[17]

After a long period of retirement from public service, she returned to performing in Los Angeles clubs in the 1990s, in the same way well as writing articles for depiction San Diego Reader and other journals.^[18] She released two further albums, Loose In the World (1999) and She Sang California (2004). In February 2007, Rhino Records issued a limited 1 2-CD compilation set of her recordings, Big Judy: How Far This Meeting Goes (1962–2004), covering her entire career.^[6]

She appeared in the 2011 documentary skin Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune, which chronicles the life and continuance of folksinger Phil Ochs, with whom she was part of the entirely sixties' Greenwich Village folk music scene.^[19]

Henske and Doerge lived in Pasadena, Calif., where they wrote and recorded.^[9] She died on April 27, 2022, strict the age of 85, after wonderful long illness.^[18]

Discography

Sources:^[20][21]

Albums

Singles

References

External links