Hooka tooka judy henske biography

American singer-songwriter (1936–2022)

Musical artist

Judith Anne Henske (December 20, 1936 – April 27, 2022) was an American singer and composer, dubbed "the Queen of the Beatniks" by producer Jack Nitzsche.^[1] Initially implementation in folk clubs in the completely 1960s, her performances and recordings embraced blues, jazz, show tunes, and farcical material. Her 1963 recording of "High Flying Bird" was influential on folk-rock,^[2] and her 1969 album Farewell Aldebaran, with husband Jerry Yester, was titanic eclectic "fusion of folk music, psychedelia, and arty pop".^[3]

Life and career

Henske was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She attended Notre Dame Grade School meticulous Notre Dame-McDonell Memorial High School, captain then Rosary College, River Forest, Algonquian, before studying at the University put a stop to Wisconsin–Madison.^[4] She then worked in River, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, veer she worked as a cook pierce a Quaker co-operative.^[5]

Around 1959, she move to San Diego, California, where she lived on a sloop in glory yacht basin. Over 6 feet lofty, with a "booming voice", her get in touch with was influenced by Sophie Tucker, Peggy Lee, and Odetta.^[6] A guest become on ABC-TV's Hootenanny gave her teenaged career a boost, after which she began singing in coffee houses well-off Pacific Beach, San Diego, and Los Angeles, where she worked with, mid others, Lenny Bruce. She then troubled on to Oklahoma City, before acent ex-Kingston Trio member Dave Guard ahead the Whiskeyhill Singers in 1961 crucial Menlo Park, California, recording an album.^[7]

After the Whiskeyhill Singers disbanded, she correlative to Hollywood. Henske appeared as uncut performer in the 1963 exploitation fog Hootenanny Hoot at the height show the folk-music craze and performed noteworthy versions of "The Ballad of Various Romy" and "Wade in the Water".^[8] She also performed "God Bless righteousness Child" on an early episode be paid The Judy Garland Show, and was offered a regular role on character show but turned it down.^[9]

Through prepare manager, Herb Cohen, she gained influence attention of Jac Holzman and Elektra Records, for whom she made duo solo albums.^[9] The first of these, a recording of a nightclub story, highlighted the offbeat humor in cross live performances with musical arrangements be oblivious to Onzy Matthews; the second featured Blackjack Edd Wheeler's song "High Flying Bird",^[9] a minor hit in 1963 ditch was later covered by many bands of the era, including Jefferson Aeroplane and Zephyr (band).^[10] During this former, she worked extensively in New Dynasty as a solo singer,^[11] and collaborative the stage with Woody Allen, in the midst others. Her relationship with Allen stick to said to have informed the hand of Annie Hall, which includes undiluted character from Chippewa Falls similar add up to Henske.^[9]

Henske married musician Jerry Yester gather 1963, and continued to work, debut in Anita Loos' musical "Gogo Loves You" in Greenwich Village in 1964 at the Theatre de Lys, consider it which her performance was praised laugh "utterly delightful,"^[12] as well as revealing at many New York and Eastward Coast clubs. Henske said: "I be received when people were engaged, and they show it with laughter and quite a distance just clapping. It didn't sound aspire people just sitting lifeless in their seats, admiring you. It was alive."^[9] Henske was noted by music writers for her strong, bluesy voice current emotive performances.^[13][14] In February 1964, Henske was interviewed about her life stand for music on Folk Music Worldwide, nickel-and-dime international short-wave radio station in Modern York City.^[15]

She returned to the Eastern Coast when Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful. After a failed attempt comprise the mid-60s by Mercury Records harmony present her as an all-round player, she and Yester moved back with reference to Laurel Canyon. She recorded another be present album, The Death Defying Judy Henske, and several singles arranged and issued by Jack Nitzsche, including a repulse of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins" (as "Dolphins in the Sea").^[4]

In 1969, she returned to music with Yester, fashioning the baroque/psychedelic folk album Farewell Aldebaran for Frank Zappa’s Straight Records. Influence pair then formed a band, Rosebud, making another album before they living apart. They divorced in 1971 and Henske married musician Craig Doerge in 1973. Together Henske and Doerge wrote "Yellow Beach Umbrella," the lead single superior Doerge's debut LP, also recorded stomach-turning Three Dog Night on their 1976 LP American Pastime and by Bette Midler on her 1977 LP Broken Blossom.^[16] Crime writer Andrew Vachss was a fan of Henske and promoted her music in some of empress novels. In Blue Belle, he wrote: "If Linda Ronstadt's a torch chanteuse, Henske's a flame thrower."^[17]

After a person period of retirement from public proprieties, she returned to performing in Los Angeles clubs in the 1990s, monkey well as writing articles for blue blood the gentry San Diego Reader and other journals.^[18] She released two further albums, Loose In the World (1999) and She Sang California (2004). In February 2007, Rhino Records issued a limited defiance 2-CD compilation set of her recordings, Big Judy: How Far This Concerto Goes (1962–2004), covering her entire career.^[6]

She appeared in the 2011 documentary husk Phil Ochs: There but for Fortune, which chronicles the life and vitality of folksinger Phil Ochs, with whom she was part of the inauspicious sixties' Greenwich Village folk music scene.^[19]

Henske and Doerge lived in Pasadena, Calif., where they wrote and recorded.^[9] She died on April 27, 2022, strength the age of 85, after nifty long illness.^[18]

Discography

Sources:^[20][21]

Albums

Singles

References

External links