Rosa Henderson (November 24, 1896 – April 6, 1968) was an American jazz and

classic female blues Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female singers accompanied by ...

singer and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

entertainer of the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

era. One commentator noted that "her large record output and continuing success on the stage indicate the popularity of her big voice and engaging persona".

Life and career

Born Rosa Deschamps in

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname * Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *H ...

, Kentucky, she is remembered as one of the better known female blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s

classic blues Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female singers accompanied by ...

era. Her career as an entertainer began in 1913 when she joined her uncle's circus troupe. She married Douglas "Slim" Henderson in 1918 and began traveling with his Mason-Henderson show. Her career as a musical comedian started during the early 1920s, after she moved to New York, where she performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

. She eventually also performed in London. Her nine-year recording career began in 1923. During that time she recorded over one hundred songs, sometimes using pseudonyms such as Sally Ritz, Flora Dale, Sarah Johnson, Josephine Thomas, Gladys White, and Mamie Harris. She was accompanied by the Virginians,

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

's Jazz Five, Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, Fletcher Henderson's Club Alabam Orchestra, the Choo Choo Jazzers, the Kansas City Five, the Three Jolly Miners, the Kansas City Four, the Three Hot Eskimos, and the Four Black Diamonds. She recorded for

Ajax Records Ajax Records was a record company and label founded in 1921. Jazz and blues records were produced in New York City, with some in Montreal, and marketed via the Ajax Record Company of Chicago. History Ajax was a subsidiary of the Compo Company of ...

, Columbia,

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

, Victor, and

Vocalion Records Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pi ...

. Her recordings include "Afternoon Blues" (1923), "Doggone Blues" (1931), "Do Right Blies" (1924), "He May Be Your Dog But He's Wearing My Collar" (1924), and "Papa If You Can't Do Better (I'll Let a Better Papa Move In)" (1926). She sang the chorus on Fletcher Henderson's May 28, 1924, Vocalion recording of "Do That Thing". Although there was a marked decline in the number of her recordings after 1926, which was largely due to the death of her husband, Slim, in 1928, she continued performing until 1932, when she took a job in a New York department store. She continued to perform benefit concerts until the 1960s. Henderson had two children and died of a heart attack in 1968. She is unrelated to Fletcher,

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

Katherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...

, or

Edmonia Henderson Edmonia Henderson (December 25, 1898 or 1900 – February 17, 1947) was an American classic female blues singer. She was active as a recording artist in the mid-1920s, recording at least 14 songs between 1924 and 1926. She later became an eva ...

References

External links

Rosa Henderson

Farewell Rosa Henderson By Derrick Stewart-Baxter (from ''Jazz Journal'' July 1968, p.16)

Rosa Henderson (1896-1968)
Red Hot Jazz Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Rosa 1896 births 1968 deaths Jazz musicians from Kentucky People from Henderson, Kentucky Singers from Kentucky American jazz singers Classic female blues singers Ajax Records artists Columbia Records artists Paramount Records artists Vocalion Records artists Women musicians from Kentucky 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers

Life and career

See also

References

External links