Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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HENRY, Shifty

(b John Willie Henry, 4 October 1921, Edna TX; d 30 November 1958, Los Angeles CA) Songwriter, bandleader, producer; he played electric and acoustic bass, and other instruments; Leo Fender is said to have given Henry an early Fender Precision Electric Bass.

In the days before reference books, websites and Google, Henry's was one of those mysterious names that kept popping up, and it keeps popping up today. He obtained a degree in music from Prairie View A&M University near Houston TX, where a football coach gave him the nickname 'Shifty', and became a busy session musician on the West Coast, as well as in the live jazz scene on Central Avenue. His 'Hypin' Woman Blues' was recorded by T-Bone Walker in 1947, sampled almost 60 years later by British DJ Mr. Scruff (real name Andy Carthy) in his 'Get A Move On', which was subsequently used in TV commercials. Henry used pseudonyms for his various activities, such as Baron Von Shifte Esq., S. Henry and so on; his Aladdin label credit was 'Shifte Henri' on 'Let Me Go Home, Whiskey' in 1953, one of the best R&B records of that year and a top 5 hit in Billboard. The song was later covered by Asleep At The Wheel.

Henry worked with the biggest names in jazz and R&B. He is thought to have played on a Billy Eckstine octet session on the National label in 1947, alongside the likes of Sonny Criss and Wardell Gray, after Eckstine's big band broke up and before he became one of America's favorite balladeers. Henry was seen onscreen playing acoustic bass in Rudolph Maté's film noir D.O.A. in 1950, and also played for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis on their TV appearances. The Shifty Henry All-Stars were booked for New Year's Eve parties thrown by Otis Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, and his socialite wife Dorothy.

Henry was name-checked in 'Jailhouse Rock' in 1957. We don't know if Elvis Presley ever heard of him, but Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote 'Shifty Henry said to Bugs, for heaven's sake/ No one's lookin' now's our chance to make a break/ Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said nix nix/ I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.'