Judy Henske
Encyclopedia
Judy Henske is an American singer and songwriter, once known as "the Queen of the Beatniks".
, before studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. She then worked in the office at Oberlin College
, Ohio
, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, where she worked as a cook in a Quaker co-operative.
Around 1959, she relocated to San Diego, California
, where she lived on a sloop in the yacht basin. She began singing in coffee houses in Pacific Beach
, San Diego, and Los Angeles
, where she worked with the likes of Lenny Bruce
. She then moved on to Oklahoma City
, before joining ex-Kingston Trio member Dave Guard
and the Whiskeyhill Singers
around 1961 in Menlo Park, California
, recording an album.
After the Whiskey Hill Singers disbanded, she returned to Hollywood. She got a big boost when given a solo guest shot on ABC-TV's Hootenanny
, and was signed as a series regular on The Judy Garland Show
. Henske was quickly dropped, however, after critics panned her and accused CBS
of a cynical attempt to lure younger viewers to Garland's show. Henske appeared, as a performer, in the 1963 exploitation movie "Hootenanny Hoot" at the height of the folk-music craze.
Moving to New York City's Greenwich Village
, she gained the attention of Jac Holzman
and Elektra Records
, for whom she made two solo albums. The first of these highlighted the offbeat humor in her live performances; the second featured Billy Edd Wheeler
's song "High Flying Bird", a minor hit later covered by many bands of the era, including Jefferson Airplane
. During this time she worked extensively in New York as a solo singer, and worked with Woody Allen
, among others, with whom she had a relationship. There was speculation that the character Annie Hall
, born in Chippewa Falls, was partly inspired by Henske, although Allen's longtime love interest Diane Keaton
, born Diane Hall, was also a prototype for the character.
Henske married musician Jerry Yester
in 1963, and continued to work, appearing in Anita Loos
' musical "Gogo Loves You" in Greenwich Village
in 1964 at the Theatre de Lys, in which her performance was praised as "utterly delightful," as well as singing at many New York and East Coast clubs. After a failed attempt in the mid-60s by Mercury Records
to present her as an all-round entertainer, she and Yester moved back to Laurel Canyon
before returning to the East Coast when Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful
.
In 1969, she returned to music with Yester, making the baroque / psychedelic folk
album Farewell Aldebaran
for Frank Zappa
’s Straight Records
. The pair then formed a band, Rosebud
, making another album before they separated and Henske returned to domestic life with musician Craig Doerge
; they married in 1973.
Henske then retired from the stage, but continued to write songs. She returned to performing in the 1990s, releasing two subsequent albums Loose In the World (1999) and She Sang California (2004). In February 2007, Rhino Records issued a limited edition 2-CD compilation set of her recordings, Big Judy: How Far This Music Goes (1962–2004), covering her entire career.
She appears in the 2011 documentary film Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
, which chronicles the life and career of folksinger Phil Ochs
, with whom she was part of the early sixties' Greenwich Village folk music scene.
Henske and Doerge now live in Pasadena, California
, where they continue to write and record.
is a fan of Henske and has promoted her music in some of his novels. In Blue Belle (p. 14), he says: "If Linda Ronstadt's a torch singer, Henske's a flame thrower."
Life and recording career
Henske attended Notre Dame Grade School and Notre Dame-McDonell Memorial High School, and then Rosary College, River Forest, IllinoisRiver Forest, Illinois
River Forest is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. The village is closely tied to the larger neighboring community of Oak Park, Illinois. There are significant...
, before studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. She then worked in the office at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, where she worked as a cook in a Quaker co-operative.
Around 1959, she relocated to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, where she lived on a sloop in the yacht basin. She began singing in coffee houses in Pacific Beach
Pacific Beach, San Diego, California
Pacific Beach is a neighborhood of San Diego, bounded by La Jolla to the north, Mission Beach and Mission Bay to the south, Interstate 5 to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. While largely populated by young people, surfers, and college students, the population is becoming older, more...
, San Diego, and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where she worked with the likes of Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
. She then moved on to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, before joining ex-Kingston Trio member Dave Guard
Dave Guard
Donald David "Dave" Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.Guard was educated in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Punahou School in what was then the pre-statehood U.S....
and the Whiskeyhill Singers
Whiskeyhill Singers
The Whiskeyhill Singers were formed in early 1961 by Dave Guard after he left The Kingston Trio. Guard formed the Singers as an attempt to return to the Trio's earlier roots in folk music. The Singers lasted about six months before disbanding...
around 1961 in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
, recording an album.
After the Whiskey Hill Singers disbanded, she returned to Hollywood. She got a big boost when given a solo guest shot on ABC-TV's Hootenanny
Hootenanny (US TV Show)
Hootenanny was a musical variety television show broadcast in the United States on ABC from April 1963 to September 1964. The program was hosted by Jack Linkletter...
, and was signed as a series regular on The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...
. Henske was quickly dropped, however, after critics panned her and accused CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
of a cynical attempt to lure younger viewers to Garland's show. Henske appeared, as a performer, in the 1963 exploitation movie "Hootenanny Hoot" at the height of the folk-music craze.
Moving to New York City's Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, she gained the attention of Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman was the founder, chief executive officer and head of both Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records.-Biography:He founded Elektra Records in his St. John's College dorm room in 1950 and Nonesuch Records in 1964...
and Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, for whom she made two solo albums. The first of these highlighted the offbeat humor in her live performances; the second featured Billy Edd Wheeler
Billy Edd Wheeler
Billy Edward "Edd" Wheeler is an American songwriter, performer, writer and visual artist. He has written songs performed by over 90 different artists including Judy Collins, Jefferson Airplane, Bobby Darin, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Hazel Dickens, and Elvis Presley...
's song "High Flying Bird", a minor hit later covered by many bands of the era, including Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
. During this time she worked extensively in New York as a solo singer, and worked with Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, among others, with whom she had a relationship. There was speculation that the character Annie Hall
Annie Hall
Annie Hall is a 1977 American romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay co-written with Marshall Brickman and co-starring Diane Keaton. One of Allen's most popular and most honored films, it won four Academy Awards including Best Picture...
, born in Chippewa Falls, was partly inspired by Henske, although Allen's longtime love interest Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, born Diane Hall, was also a prototype for the character.
Henske married musician Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.Growing up in Burbank, California, Yester formed a duo with brother Jim Yester, the Yester Brothers, and starting playing folk clubs in Los Angeles in 1960...
in 1963, and continued to work, appearing in Anita Loos
Anita Loos
Anita Loos was an American screenwriter, playwright and author.-Early life:Born Corinne Anita Loos in Sisson, California , where her father, R. Beers Loos, had opened a tabloid newspaper for which her mother, Minerva "Minnie" Smith did most of the work of a newspaper publisher...
' musical "Gogo Loves You" in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
in 1964 at the Theatre de Lys, in which her performance was praised as "utterly delightful," as well as singing at many New York and East Coast clubs. After a failed attempt in the mid-60s by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
to present her as an all-round entertainer, she and Yester moved back to Laurel Canyon
Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California
Laurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was first developed in the 1910s, and became a part of the city of Los Angeles in 1923 ....
before returning to the East Coast when Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
.
In 1969, she returned to music with Yester, making the baroque / psychedelic folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
album Farewell Aldebaran
Farewell Aldebaran
Farewell Aldebaran by Judy Henske and Jerry Yester is an album issued in 1969 on Frank Zappa's innovative Straight record label. It contains a wild mixture of styles, as though recorded by ten different bands, all featuring Henske's almost gothic lyrics and remarkable vocal range, which might lead...
for Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
’s Straight Records
Straight Records
Straight Records was a record label formed in 1969 to distribute productions and discoveries of Frank Zappa and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen. Straight was formed at the same time as a companion label, Bizarre Records. Straight and Bizarre were manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by...
. The pair then formed a band, Rosebud
Rosebud (band)
Rosebud was the name of an American popular music group which released a single, eponymous album in 1971.Its members were Judy Henske, Jerry Yester, Craig Doerge, John Seiter, and David Vaught. The album was a follow-up to the Henske-Yester collaboration, Farewell Aldebaran...
, making another album before they separated and Henske returned to domestic life with musician Craig Doerge
Craig Doerge
Craig Doerge is an American keyboard player, songwriter and session musician.He began playing in a college band at Hartford, Connecticut, and then moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s to work as a studio player and songwriter with A&M Records, and with Jim Keltner and others playing on cartoon...
; they married in 1973.
Henske then retired from the stage, but continued to write songs. She returned to performing in the 1990s, releasing two subsequent albums Loose In the World (1999) and She Sang California (2004). In February 2007, Rhino Records issued a limited edition 2-CD compilation set of her recordings, Big Judy: How Far This Music Goes (1962–2004), covering her entire career.
She appears in the 2011 documentary film Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune
Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune is a documentary film on the life and times of folk singer-songwriter Phil Ochs. The film, released theatrically in January 2011, was written and directed by Kenneth Bowser...
, which chronicles the life and career of folksinger Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, with whom she was part of the early sixties' Greenwich Village folk music scene.
Henske and Doerge now live in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, where they continue to write and record.
Influence
Crime writer Andrew VachssAndrew Vachss
Andrew Henry Vachss is an American crime fiction author, child protection consultant, and attorney exclusively representing children and youths...
is a fan of Henske and has promoted her music in some of his novels. In Blue Belle (p. 14), he says: "If Linda Ronstadt's a torch singer, Henske's a flame thrower."
Albums
- Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers, 1962 (Capitol T/ST-1728) (as member of group)
- How the West Was Won (soundtrack, as member of group singing "900 Miles" and "Ox Driver's Song")
- Judy Henske, 1963 (Elektra EKS-7231)
- High Flying Bird, 1963 (Elektra EKS-7241)
- Little Bit of Sunshine… Little Bit of Rain, 1965 (Mercury SR 61010/MG 21010)
- The Death Defying Judy Henske, 1966 (Reprise R-6203)
- Farewell AldebaranFarewell AldebaranFarewell Aldebaran by Judy Henske and Jerry Yester is an album issued in 1969 on Frank Zappa's innovative Straight record label. It contains a wild mixture of styles, as though recorded by ten different bands, all featuring Henske's almost gothic lyrics and remarkable vocal range, which might lead...
, 1969 (with Jerry Yester) (Straight Records STS-1052/Reprise Records RS-6388) - RosebudRosebud (band)Rosebud was the name of an American popular music group which released a single, eponymous album in 1971.Its members were Judy Henske, Jerry Yester, Craig Doerge, John Seiter, and David Vaught. The album was a follow-up to the Henske-Yester collaboration, Farewell Aldebaran...
, 1971 (as member of group) (Reprise RS 6426) - Loose in the World, 1999 (Fair Star Music)
- She Sang California, 2004 (Fair Star Music)
- Big Judy: How Far This Music Goes, 1962-2004 (box set) 2007 (Rhino Handmade)
Singles
- "That's Enough" / "Oh, Didn't He Ramble," 1962 (Staccato 101 and Gold Leaf 1001). Credited to Judy Hart
- Rider ! 1963 (Capitol) The Kingston Trio album Sunny Side
- "I Know You Rider" / "Love Henry," 1963 (Elektra 45004)
- "High Flyin' Bird" / "Charlotte Town," 1963 (Elektra 45007)
- "Til The Real Thing Comes Along" / "Lonely Train," 1963 (Elektra 45010)
- "Crazy He Calls Me" / "Baby," 1965 (Mercury 72387)
- "Road to Nowhere" / "Sing A Rainbow," 1966 (Reprise 0485)
- "Day To Day" / "Dolphins In The Sea," 1966 (Reprise 0587)