Michael Henderson

For other people named Michael Henderson, see Michael Henderson (disambiguation).

Michael Earl Henderson (July 7, 1951 – July 19, 2022) was an American bass guitarist and vocalist. He was known for his work with Miles Davis in the early 1970s on early fusion albums such as Jack Johnson,^[1] Live-Evil, and Agharta,^[2] along with a series of his own R&B/soul hits and others featuring him on vocals, particularly the Norman Connors-produced hit "You Are My Starship" in 1976 and other songs in the mid to late-1970s.^[3]

Michael Henderson
Performing in 1971
Background information
Birth name	Michael Earl Henderson
Born	(1951-07-07)July 7, 1951 Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	July 19, 2022(2022-07-19) (aged 71) Dallas, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B, jazz, funk, soul, pop
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, bass
Years active	1970–2022
Labels	Buddah Records, Arista, EMI-Capitol

Early life

Michael Earl Henderson was born on July 7, 1951, in Yazoo City, Mississippi.^[4][5][6] In the early 1960s he moved to Detroit, playing as a session musician.^[7]

Career

Henderson was one of the first notable bass guitarists of the fusion era as well as being one of the most influential jazz and soul musicians of the past 40 years. In addition to Davis, he played and recorded with Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Dramatics, among many others.^[7]

Before working with Davis, Henderson had been touring with Stevie Wonder, whom he met at the Regal Theater in Chicago while warming up for a gig. Davis saw the young Henderson performing at the Copacabana in New York City in early 1970 and reportedly said to Wonder simply "I'm taking your fucking bassist."^[8] After almost seven years with Davis, Henderson focused on songwriting and singing in a solo career that produced many hit songs and albums for Buddah Records until his retirement in 1986.^[7] Although known primarily for ballads, he was an influential funk player whose riffs and songs have been widely covered. He is also known for his ballad vocalizing on several Norman Connors hit recordings, including "You Are My Starship" and "Valentine Love", performed with Jean Carne.^[7]

Personal life and death

At the time of his death, Henderson was in a relationship with DaMia Satterfield, and separated from his wife, Adelia Thompson.^[6] He had three children, and lived in the Atlanta suburb of Dallas, Georgia, where he died from cancer on July 19, 2022, aged 71, almost two weeks after his 71st birthday.^[9][6]

Solo discography

Singing at Sunset Junction Festival in Los Angeles, 2008

Studio albums

Year	Album	Label	Peak chart positions
			US 200 [10]	US R&B [10]	US Jazz [10]
1976	Solid	Buddah Records	173	10	20
1977	Goin' Places		49	18	11
1978	In the Night Time		38	5	6
1979	Do It All		64	17	—
1980	Wide Receiver		35	6	—
1981	Slingshot		86	14	27
1983	Fickle		169	41	—
1986	Bedtime Stories	EMI America	—	30	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US Dance [11]	US R&B [11]	US Pop [11]
1976	"Time"	—	—	―
	"Be My Girl"	—	23	101
1977	"Won't You Be Mine"	—	82	—
	"I Can't Help It"	―	27	103
	"You Haven't Made It to the Top"	—	80	—
1978	"Take Me I'm Yours"	—	3	88
	"In the Night-Time"	—	15	―
1979	"To Be Loved"	―	62	―
	"Do It All"	―	56	―
1980	"Reach Out for Me"	―	78	―
	"Prove It"	―	27	―
	"Wide Receiver"	42	4	―
	"You're My Choice"	―	―	―
1981	"Make It Easy on Yourself"	―	68	―
	"(We Are Here to) Geek You Up"	―	51	―
1983	"Thin Walls"	―	―	―
	"Fickle"	―	33	―
1986	"Tin Soldier"	―	86	―
	"Do It to Me Good (Tonight)"	―	17	―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Collaborations

With Miles Davis

• A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1971)
• Live-Evil (1971)
• On the Corner (1972)
• In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall (1973)
• Big Fun (1974)
• Get Up with It (1974)
• Agharta (1976)
• Pangaea (1975)
• Dark Magus (1977)
• The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Columbia Legacy, 2003)
• The Cellar Door Sessions (2005, recorded 1970)
• The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia Legacy, 2007)
• Miles Davis at Newport 1955–1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

With Stevie Wonder

• Live at the Talk of the Town (1970)

With The Dramatics

• Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (1971)

References

1. Cole, George (2007). The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980–1991. University of Michigan Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-472-03260-0.
2. Freeman, Philip (2005). Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis. Hal Leonard. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-61774-521-8.
3. "Michael Henderson: He's now captain of his own starship". Ebony. Vol. 36, no. 3. Johnson Publishing Company. January 1981. p. 68. ISSN 0012-9011.
4. "Happy birthday to Michael Henderson". SoulTracks. December 27, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
5. McCall, Michael (1997). Erlewine, Michael; Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; et al. (eds.). "Michael Henderson". All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music. AMG All Music Guides. Hal Leonard Corporation: 88, 208. ISBN 978-0-87930-475-1. 0879304758.
6. Sandomir, Richard (July 23, 2022). "Michael Henderson, Funk Bassist Turned Crooner, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
7. Wynn, Ron. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
8. Jung, Fred (December 15, 2003). "A Fireside Chat With Michael Henderson". Allthatjazz.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
9. Brodsky, Rachel (July 19, 2022). "Influential Jazz Fusion Bassist And R&B Singer Michael Henderson Dead At 71". Stereogum. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
10. "Michael Henderson – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 23, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
11. "Michael Henderson Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 12, 2021.

External links

• Michael Henderson discography at Discogs
• Funk: United States
• Michael Henderson at IMDb