Chick Henderson

Who was Chick Henderson?

Chick Henderson was an English singer who achieved popularity and acclaim as a prolific recording artist and performer of the British dance band era in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Chick Henderson was born Henderson Rowntree in Hartlepool, England. He attended Galleys Field School on Hartlepool Headland. "Chick" was nothing more than his mother's nickname for her smallest son. His first recordings were made for Harry Leader in June 1935. The following year he began singing for Joe Loss' popular radio orchestra. He stayed with Loss for five years and became a great favorite among young women who formed his core audience. A tall, handsome man with a rich, strong vocal delivery, he appeared on postcards and magazine covers.

In his short life, Chick Henderson made over 250 recordings but, as with many big band singers, his name did not appear on the record label—only the orchestra was listed. In July 1939, he recorded with Joe Loss' orchestra what would become his biggest-selling recording "Begin the Beguine", which sold over a million copies, the only recording by a 1930s vocalist to achieve such a triumph.