Michael Henderson -

Michael Henderson (July 7, 1951 – July 19, 2022) was an American R&B bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who served as a backing player for Miles Davis during the early 1970s. As a solo artist, he released seven albums on Buddah between 1976 and 1983, followed by an eighth on EMI in 1986.

Background

Henderson hailed from Yazoo City, Mississippi. At age 19, he played uncredited bass on the UK-only album Live at the Talk of the Town by Stevie Wonder, recorded at the London nightclub Talk of the Town and released in 1970 on Tamla Motown.

Later that year, Henderson got his break when he was enlisted by Miles Davis. His bass playing is heard on the jams “Sivad,” “What I Say,” “Funky Tonk,” and “Inamorata and Narration by Conrad Roberts,” recorded at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC, on December 19, 1970, and included on Miles’ 1971 release Live-Evil. Henderson played on the bandleader’s three subsequent studio albums (A Tribute to Jack Johnson, On the Corner, Get Up With It) and the ensuing live discs leading up to Miles’ break from the music industry.

In 1975, Henderson contributed bass, lead vocals, and one song (“Valentine Love”) to the album Saturday Night Special by Norman Connors. Henderson also played on The Shadow Do by Gary Bartz, contributing the track “Make Me Feel Better.” He was also one of five bassists on the album Drama V by The Dramatics, on which he produced and co-wrote two songs, “Dramatic Theme / Treat Me Like a Man” and “Just Shopping (Not Buying Anything).”

With these accomplishments under his belt, Henderson signed to Buddah Records as a solo artist.

Solid

Michael Henderson released his debut solo album, Solid, in November 1976 on Buddah.

The album blends smooth, bass-driven soul with understated funk rhythms and restrained jazz voicings. Henderson, already known for his work with Miles Davis and Norman Connors, emerged here as both frontman and producer, framing his supple vocals with tight instrumental arrangements.

Henderson plays bass guitar, guitar, lead and backing vocals, and drums (on “Solid”), supported by guitarist Bruce Nazarian (synthesizer), guitarist Ralph Armstrong, keyboardists Lester Williams, Nimrod Lumpkin, and Rudy Robinson, synthesizer player Mark Johnson, drummer Jerry Jones and Leslie Daniels, and percussionist Muruga Booker. Horns appear courtesy of saxophonist Eli Fontaine, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, and saxophonist Norma Jean Bell. Robinson and Travis Biggs arranged and conducted strings, while Brandye and Rose Henderson Williams provide backing vocals.

Henderson wrote all nine songs on Solid. “Valentine Love,” first recorded the previous year on Norman Connors’ Saturday Night Special as a duet with Jean Carn, appears here as a solo vocal performance.

The set alternates between urbane ballads and tighter funk numbers. “Be My Girl” stands out for its sustained, romantic phrasing over a patient rhythm, while “Valentine Love” moves with a softened lilt beneath a prominent horn lead-in. “Let Love Enter” flows with relaxed pacing, contrasting the taut, instrumental pull of “Time” and the extended, bass-forward jam on “Solid.” “Treat Me Like a Man” leans toward his jazz background with modal shadings under a deliberate vocal plea.

A1. “Make Me Feel Better” (3:00)
A2. “Time” (3:11)
A3. “Let Love Enter” (2:54)
A4. “Treat Me Like a Man” (4:02)
A5. “Solid” (6:34)

B1. “Be My Girl” (5:07)
B2. “You Haven’t Made It to the Top” (4:04)
B3. “Valentine Love” (3:57) — first recorded on Norman Connors’ 1975 album Saturday Night Special as a Henderson–Jean Carn duet.
B4. “Stay with Me This Summer” (3:42)

Sessions took place at United Sound Studios in Detroit with Henderson as producer and engineer Rudy Robinson.

Buddah promoted Solid with “Be My Girl” (b/w “Treat Me Like a Man”), which reached No. 23 on the Billboard R&B chart. “You Haven’t Made It to the Top” followed in early 1977 (b/w “Let Love Enter”) and peaked at No. 80 R&B.

“Be My Girl” was later covered by The Dramatics, who released their version in 1977.

Goin’ Places

Michael Henderson released his second solo album, Goin’ Places, in July 1977 on Buddah.

The album expands on the supple soul and understated funk of his debut with heightened instrumental interplay and more intricate vocal arrangements. Henderson balances urbane, slow-paced ballads with taut rhythmic numbers, supported by a cast of prominent jazz, funk, and R&B session players.

Henderson handles bass, guitar, keyboards, bongos, and lead and backing vocals. Notable contributors include keyboardist Herbie Hancock (Fender Rhodes), Raydio guitarist Ray Parker Jr., guitarist Randall Jacobs, keyboardist Rudy Robinson (Clavinet, ARP strings, Fender Rhodes, piano), keyboardist Mark Johnson (Fender Rhodes, synthesizer), drummer Jerry Jones, and percussionists Ollie E. Brown and Lorenzo Brown. Horns are played by saxophonist Eli Fontaine (soprano), trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, saxophonist Norma Jean Bell, trombonist Steve Hunter, and horn/strings arranger Ralph Moss. Roberta Flack shares co-lead vocals on “At the Concert,” while Gwen Guthrie, Yolanda McCullough, and Brenda White provide backing vocals.

Henderson wrote five of the album’s seven songs. He co-wrote “Let Me Love You” with Ray Parker Jr. and “I’ll Be Understanding” with Rudy Robinson. The closing number, “Won’t You Be Mine,” was written by Ken Peterson.

The album alternates between firm funk pacing and soft-focus ballads. “Whip It” and “I Can’t Help It” drive with clipped rhythmic emphasis around Henderson’s restrained vocal lines. “Let Me Love You” and the title track extend his romantic phrasing in spacious, mid-tempo arrangements. “At the Concert” stretches into a seven-minute vocal exchange between Henderson and Roberta Flack, framed by sustained keyboard chords and gradual harmonic swells.

A1. “Whip It” (4:01)
A2. “Goin’ Places” (4:08)
A3. “Let Me Love You” (5:00)
A4. “I Can’t Help It” (4:16)

B1. “I’ll Be Understanding” (3:03)
B2. “At the Concert” (7:16)
B3. “Won’t You Be Mine” (7:00)

Sessions occurred at Electric Lady Studios in New York with Henderson as producer and engineering by in-house staff.

Buddah promoted Goin’ Places with “I Can’t Help It” (b/w “Whip It”), which reached No. 27 on the Billboard R&B chart. “Won’t You Be Mine” followed as the second single (b/w “I’ll Be Understanding”) and peaked at No. 82 R&B.

In the Night-Time

Michael Henderson released his third album, In the Night-Time, in June 1978 on Buddah.

The album foregrounds Henderson’s romantic balladry with slow-tempo arrangements built around supple bass lines, warm electric keyboards, and layered vocals. It also includes one of his most widely recognized singles, pairing a sensual vocal delivery with polished production.

Henderson performs lead and backing vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, and handclaps. Guitarists Ray Parker Jr. and Randall Jacobs, bassist Herman Curry Jr., drummers Jerry Jones and Keith Benson, and keyboardists Mark Johnson (organ, Clavinet), Rod Lumpkin (organ, Clavinet), Rudy Robinson (keyboards, synthesizer), and Gary Crista (keyboards, synthesizer) provide the instrumental core. Percussionists Keith Benson and Lorenzo “Bag of Tricks” Brown add rhythmic accents. Horns are played by saxophonist Eli Fontaine and trumpeter Evan Solot. Vocal contributions come from Cheryl Norton, Rena Scott (featured on “Take Me I’m Yours”), and backing singers Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton, and Carla L. Benson.

Henderson wrote five of the album’s eight songs. He co-wrote the title track with Sylvester Rivers and “Am I Special” with Rudy Robinson. “Whisper in My Ear” was written by Jerry Jones, “Yours Truly, Indiscreetly” by Lamont Johnson and Randall Jacobs, and “One to One” by Herman Curry Jr.

The set centers on soft, atmospheric ballads with a few funk-driven passages. “Take Me I’m Yours,” a duet with Rena Scott, flows on measured keyboard lines and close vocal interplay. The title track maintains a controlled rhythmic pulse beneath restrained melodic contours, while “Whisper in My Ear” stretches out in slow, spacious phrases. “We Can Go On” and “Am I Special” underline Henderson’s trademark romantic pacing, and “Happy” stands apart as the album’s lone instrumental funk cut, propelled by clipped bass patterns.

A1. “Take Me I’m Yours” (4:20)
A2. “We Can Go On” (6:17)
A3. “Happy” (6:04)
A4. “In the Night-Time” (4:55)

B1. “Whisper in My Ear” (7:11)
B2. “Am I Special” (4:11)
B3. “Yours Truly, Indiscreetly” (3:45)
B4. “One to One” (4:58)

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with Henderson as producer and engineering by in-house staff.

Buddah promoted In the Night-Time with “Take Me I’m Yours” (b/w “Happy”), which reached No. 3 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 88 on the Hot 100. The title track followed (b/w “We Can Go On”) and reached No. 15 R&B.

Do It All

Michael Henderson released his fourth album, Do It All, in July 1979 on Buddah.

The album continues Henderson’s emphasis on smooth R&B balladry with deliberate rhythmic pacing and expanded instrumental arrangements. It also features a rendition of an early Motown standard and includes contributions from multiple Detroit and Philadelphia session players.

Henderson performs lead and backing vocals, bass, and arrangements. Guitarist Randall Jacobs, saxophonist Eli Fontaine, trumpeter Evan Solot, and harmonica player Little Sonny headline a large supporting cast that includes four drummers, two keyboardists, two percussionists, and clavinetist D.J. Vassal Benford. Backing vocals are by Barbara Ingram, Yvette Benton, and Paula Benson.

Henderson wrote five of the album’s seven tracks. Guitarist Randall Jacobs co-wrote “In the Summertime,” while Herman Curry Jr. penned “Everybody Wants to Know Why.” The album includes a cover of “To Be Loved,” originally a 1957 single by Jackie Wilson, written by Berry Gordy and Tyran Carlo.

The material alternates between slow, low-set romantic numbers and taut mid-tempo passages. “Do It All” and “Playing on the Real Thing” set a firm rhythmic base under Henderson’s controlled vocal phrasing. “To Be Loved” keeps its pleading lyrical tone intact but unfolds in a smoother, more restrained arrangement. “Wait Until the Rain” stretches over seven minutes with instrumental interplay, and “In the Summertime” tilts toward breezier pacing with layered vocals at the chorus.

A1. “Playing on the Real Thing” (4:18)
A2. “Everybody Wants to Know Why” (3:13) — written by Herman Curry Jr.
A3. “To Be Loved” (4:44) — originated as a 1957 Brunswick single by Jackie Wilson, written by Berry Gordy and Tyran Carlo. Wilson’s original reached the US R&B Top 30. The lyrics express a universal longing for mutual affection.
A4. “Do It All” (5:17)

B1. “In the Summertime” (4:09)
B2. “Wait Until the Rain” (7:19)
B3. “Riding” (5:21)

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and United Sound Studios in Detroit with Henderson as producer and engineering by in-house staff.

Buddah promoted Do It All with the title track (b/w “Riding”), which reached No. 56 on the Billboard R&B chart. “To Be Loved” followed (b/w “Playing on the Real Thing”) and peaked at No. 62.

Wide Receiver

Michael Henderson released his fifth album, Wide Receiver, in June 1980 on Buddah.

The album balances Henderson’s quiet storm and ballad material with a heightened emphasis on taut, rhythmic funk. It contains the biggest hit of his career, framed by alternating bursts of up-tempo arrangements and smooth, controlled vocal lines.

Henderson performs lead and backing vocals, bass, and contributes crowd vocals. His backing group includes guitarist Randall Jacobs and rhythm guitarist Ray Parker Jr., saxophonist Eli Fontaine, trumpeter Evan Solot, and harmonica player Little Sonny. Five drummers, four keyboardists, and three percussionists support the sessions, along with a large backing vocal ensemble led by Roz Ryan, Jeanette McGruder, and Cheryl Norton.

Henderson wrote or co-wrote six of the album’s nine songs. Guitarist Randall Jacobs co-wrote the title track and contributed the ballad “There’s No One Like You.” Lou Courtney penned “I Don’t Need Nobody Else.” Henderson covers two songs popularized in the 1960s: “Reach Out for Me” by Dionne Warwick and “Ask the Lonely” by the Four Tops.

The album splits between three prominent funk numbers and a set of quiet storm ballads. “Wide Receiver” develops over clipped rhythmic accents and chant-like crowd vocals. “Prove It” projects a sharper instrumental attack and brisk pace. “You’re My Choice” builds from a terse rhythmic figure into extended call-and-response passages. By contrast, “Ask the Lonely” retains the core harmonic progressions of the Four Tops’ version but pares it down to a slower, more spacious setting. “Reach Out for Me” foregrounds sustained phrasing and gliding keyboard textures.

A1. “You’re My Choice” (3:03)
A2. “Make Me Feel Like” (4:27)
A3. “Reach Out for Me” (3:35) — originated as a 1964 single by Dionne Warwick, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The lyrics convey a plea for reassurance in a faltering relationship.
A4. “Wide Receiver” (8:05)

B1. “I Don’t Need Nobody Else” (4:01) — written by Lou Courtney.
B2. “What I’m Feeling (For You)” (4:03)
B3. “Ask the Lonely” (3:10) — originated as a 1965 single by the Four Tops, written by George Hunter and William Stevenson. The lyrics address isolation and heartache after romantic betrayal.
B4. “There’s No One Like You” (4:19)
B5. “Prove It” (4:25)

Sessions occurred at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, United Sound and Sound Suite in Detroit, and Record Plant and Allan Zentz Recording in Los Angeles with Henderson as producer and engineering by in-house staff.

Buddah promoted Wide Receiver with the title track (b/w “Make Me Feel Like”), which reached No. 4 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 42 on the Dance Club chart. “Prove It” followed (b/w “Ask the Lonely”) and peaked at No. 27 R&B. “Reach Out for Me” appeared as a third single in early 1981 (b/w “There’s No One Like You”) and reached No. 78 R&B.

Discography: