Haywood Henry

Who was Haywood Henry?

Frank Haywood Henry was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. He was a 1978 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, Henry began on clarinet before choosing baritone as his primary instrument. He continued to play clarinet on occasion throughout his career. He was a member of the Bama State Collegians in 1930, then returned to play with them again from 1934, including under Erskine Hawkins. He played with Hawkins into the 1950s.

Following his time with Hawkins, Henry worked with Tiny Grimes, Julian Dash, and the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band, and occasionally stood in for Harry Carney in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He also played on over 1,000 rock and roll records in the 1950s and 1960s, many of them anonymously and often alongside Mickey Baker. In the 1960s he played with Wilbur DeParis, Max Kaminsky, Snub Mosley, Louis Metcalf, Earl Hines, Sy Oliver, and the New York Jazz Repertory Company. He also worked in the orchestras of Broadway shows such as Ain't Misbehavin' in the 1970s. He participated in an Erskine Hawkins reunion ensemble in 1971, and performed well into the 1980s.