Glenn Henry (sometimes billed as Glen Henry; né Glenn Alby Henry, Jr.; 29 August 1915 Terril, Iowa – 29 July 1993 Santa Barbara, California) was an American band leader of a popular West Coast big band bearing his name, "Glenn Henry and His Orchestra."^[1]

History

General Henry's orchestra, a 14 and sometimes 15-piece group, flourished between 1935 and the 1950s, and featured various female solo vocalists and the Quintones. Henry fronted his band as a clarinetist, saxophonist, and vocalist.

Before World War II

Henry's band was initially based out of Pocatello, Idaho – while he was a student at Idaho State University beginning 1934, studying to be an engineer. The band's first major commercial engagement was in 1935 at the Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone National Park. The band received high acclaim and returned to Yellowstone for five consecutive seasons.^{[lower-alpha 1]} In 1936, at the Pocatello High School Senior Ball, his orchestra was called "Glenn Henry and His Idahoans." Henry eventually moved to the Los Angeles area. In late 1942, Henry's Orchestra performed throughout the Pacific Coast on a USO tour.

In the fall of 1942, Henry's Orchestra was designated a Coca-Cola Spotlight Band; and, on December 25, 1942 — midway through a 13-week engagement in Seattle — 15 minutes of a live performance by the band, from Fort Lewis, Washington, was broadcast over the Blue Network as part of the longest show in radio history, and most widely aired, featuring what then was deemed the best big bands in the country — 43 bands from 43 locations, coast-to-coast.^[2][3][4]

During World War II

RCA presented a touring contract and eventual record contract to Henry in 1942. After embarking up the first few dates, Henry was drafted thus putting a halt to the tour and eventual recording contract. For two-and-one-half-years during World War II, Henry served in the U.S. Army ground forces with the 96th Infantry Division band as band leader.

After World War II

After the war, Henry received an honorable discharge and re-organized his band in Los Angeles. In 1946, Henry's Orchestra regularly broadcast under the tag line, "For Those Who Prefer Music." In the late 1960s, Henry became an independent booking agent for bands,^[5] operating under the name "Glenn Henry Entertainment Agency." Henry maintained that avocation until shortly before his death in 1993. Henry's performing career endured after the decline of big bands in the 1950s, leading combos through the 1970s, featuring his wife on vocals, performing mostly local engagements and special events, in and around Santa Barbara.^[6] Harry Johnson, his pianist, became the office manager with the Glenn Henry Entertainment Agency.

Bookings on the East Coast for Glenn Henry's Orchestra were rare. However, the Glenn Henry Orchestra made its debut east of the Mississippi in a moonlight performance aboard the S.S. Bear Mountain showboat on June 13, 1949. The boat had been rented by Congress for that night.^[7]

In 1959, Henry's quartet — composed of the same personnel that recorded the 1964 album featuring his wife, Shades of Cherie — completed a 33-week engagement at the Windsor Hotel in Bermuda. From about 1958 to 1960, Henry led a quartet at venues such as Harrah's Lake Tahoe and Harrah's Reno.

In 1969, when the Seabees put on a 27-year anniversary celebration attended by over 4000 naval and civilian personnel at the Naval Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme, the entertainment was provided by the Glenn Henry Orchestra and popular USO entertainers Joy Wilkerson (née Gladys Joy Wright; 1930–2011) — actress and Playboy Bunny — as well as "Honey Ltd.," a female vocal quartet, and "The Party of Four," another female vocal quartet.^[8]

Style

Beginning around the late 1940s, Henry's orchestra had over 300 arrangements.

Impressions in Rhythm

After World War II, Henry's arranger, pianist, and vocalist Bill Dixon arranged recognizable vignettes of hummable classical works and adopted the tag line, "Impressions in Rhythm." Dixon, one of the original members in Henry's new band after World War II, explained that the "Impressions" were melodic classical works set to pleasant dance tempos. The arrangements included Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto, Debussy's Clair de Lune, Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun, Massenet's Elegie, Rubinstein's Kamennoi Ostrow, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto, Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu, and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.^[9]

General repertoire Henry's dance orchestra repertoire was diverse and included a full-range of swing arrangements, but performance sets typically leaned toward popular songs and danceable music in a sweet genre, close to Glenn Miller, but sweeter, but not as sweet as Jan Garber or Lawrence Welk. Henry's orchestra had enough original compositions and arrangements that distinguished it with its own sound and style. In other words, his bands throughout the years could not be characterized as mostly a cover band.

Selected band alumni

In 1952, eight members of the band, including vocalist Cherie Lynn, attended three Long Beach high schools at the same time and played together at all the proms and balls.

Random dates

Selected discography

Family

Henry, born in Iowa, moved with his family to California when he was one. Before Henry had turned four, his family had moved to San Bernardino, California. By the time he was five, his family was living in Pocatello, Idaho. His father, Glenn Alby Henry, Sr. (1890–1950), had been a telegraph operator and, from 1934, worked for Union Pacific and an agent, moving to Victor, then to Blackfoot, Idaho. Glenn, Jr., was married three times:

• 1st marriage on February 19, 1939, to Mary Madge Stephens (1920–2006); they had two daughters, Sharon and Irene.
• 2nd marriage on June 20, 1943, in Los Angeles to Evelyn (stage name Chris) Louise Dinsmoor (1923–1995), her first marriage, who at the time was the vocalist in Henry's orchestra; Henry had enlisted in the U.S. Army June 4, 1943. Approximately two years later, he received a "dear John" letter from his wife.
• 3rd marriage on August 30, 1951, at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather in Glendale, California, to Cherie Lou Christensen (whose only other prior marriage was annulled by her father as she was only 17 years old.); which lasted over 50 years until the death of each of them. They had 6 children, Sherilynn Irene Henry, Glenn Alby Henry III, Steven Richard Henry, Donald Warren Henry, Shawn Randall Henry and Jason Clifford Henry (twins). Cherie Henry died in 2007 in Santa Barbara, California.

References