Billy Henderson | |
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.png) Henderson in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | William Henderson (1939-08-09)August 9, 1939 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2007(2007-02-02) (aged 67) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1954–2004 |
| Formerly of | The Spinners |
William Henderson (August 9, 1939 – February 2, 2007)[1] was an American singer, best known for being an original member and founder ofThe Spinners, asoulvocal group.
He and four friends atLincoln High School in 1954 formed a group originally called The Domingos and later renamedThe Spinners.[1][2] They had several hits, especially in the 1970s, including "I'll Be Around" (1972) and "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "Then Came You" (withDionne Warwick), "The Rubberband Man" and "It's a Shame".
"It's a Shame" is a song co-written byStevie Wonder,Syreeta Wright andLee Garrett, and produced by Wonder as a single for The Spinners onMotown's V.I.P. Records label.[1] Recorded in 1970, it became theDetroit-reared group's biggest single on the Motown Records company since they had signed with the company in 1964 and also their biggest hit in a decade. The lineup of the quintet included original membersPervis Jackson,Henry Fambrough, Billy Henderson andBobby Smith and lead vocalistG. C. Cameron. The song, which is about a man who complains about a lover's "messin' around" on him, became a huge hit for the group, reaching number 14 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B singles chart, making it their biggest hit to date. The song was the first song Wonder produced for another act by himself.
Henderson was considered to be the best dancer in The Spinners and was known for his animated stage presence, although he was the only member out of the classic five to not sing any lead vocals, Henderson was more focused on the dancing and being the background second tenor in the middle and was also one of the founders of The Spinners.
The Spinners werenominated for sixGrammy Awards and they received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame,[3] the second star for a musical group consisting ofAfro Americans. Henderson remained with the group for exactly half a century, until 2004.[1][2]
He was posthumously inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 as a member of the Spinners.[4]
William Henderson was born on August 9, 1939, inIndianapolis, and grew up inRoyal Oak Charter Township,Michigan.
Henderson died inDaytona Beach, Florida, from complications caused bydiabetes on February 2, 2007, at the age of 67.[5] His grave is located at Detroit'sWoodlawn Cemetery.
Henderson and his wife Barbara had three sons: Charles, Sterling and Joseph.[1][6]
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