J. Michael Henderson
-BIOGRAPHY-
Joseph Michael Henderson, born on a Saturday afternoon, October 11, 1952 in Muncie, Indiana, began his musical career early, at the age of nine years by teaching himself how to play the guitar. By the time he was thirteen, he was performing in various bands regularly at local clubs, private parties and college functions throughout the mid west. At the age of fifteen, J. Michael began teaching himself how to play the piano by setting up next to the organ player and watching his hands play the chord changes. Needless to say, he elected singing and playing in bands as his 'crime of passion' throughout his remaining years at Muncie Burris High School.
While attending Western Kentucky University as a premed student, J. Michael found that he could get far more immediate satisfaction serenading the women's dormitories outside after hours than he could ever by studying; in fact , how J. Michael's solo career developed was from collecting request notes thrown out of the girls' dorm windows along with love notes, canned foods and even money in some cases. He soon left the university after one year to pursue his music as a solo act, rather than to participate in the academic side of higher learning. Having developed his own unique performing and writing style, J. Michael was opening shows and touring with major International acts in concert.
In 1976, at the age of 23, J. Michael released his fist solo album, 'To Make The Night Complete' on his own label, JMH Records. In addition to writing and arranging all of the material, he also played all of the instruments except drums and produced the entire project himself. He then promoted extensive radio air-play and marketed the record throughout the mid west resulting in sales of substantial proportions and enjoyed two #1 regional hit singles, You're But A Dream, My Lady and My Music.
Traveling extensively, performing in concerts and clubs from coast to coast, J. Michael was touring with such acts as Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Hall & Oats, Loggins & Messina, REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh and a list of others (see attached tours, photos and newspaper articles).
May 11, 1978, J. Michael Henderson was critically injured in an automobile accident. In a coma for six days, he suffered total memory loss, serious speech and muscle impairments and facing a long and difficult recovery, having to relearn practically everything, including his music, before he would resume his career (see attached articles).
Years later, J. Michael released his second album, 'nite people', which he also self-produced and promoted. His efforts were rewarded with a Top 10 regional single, 'Look At You'.Throughout the past two decades, J. Michael has been residing and working in the Los Angeles area as a performer, private music instructor, songwriter and student. In 1993, J. Michael returned to college to further his music teaching skills and has since received an Associates Degree in music from LA Pierce College, then on to study for the next four years to obtain a BA in music at California State University, Northridge.
Through popular demand, in October of 2001, JMH Records digitally remastered and rereleased its twenty-three year out-of-print, 'To Make The Night Complete' onto CD! As a result, sales and reaction have been amazing! 'To Make The Night Complete' carries that vinage seventies sound along with timeless music & lyrical content!
Even greater demand, especially in Japan and Europe and due largely to the Internet has encouraged the rerelease of 'nite people' onto CD! Through the revisited popularity of 'To Make The Night Complete' and to a whole new generation of esteemed music lovers who are into "that sound" which rarely exists in contemporary music, in July of 2006, JMH Records digitally remastered, reconfigured and rereleased the all new 'nite people' album onto CD! The new release has three alternate versions of tunes which were not included on the original release as well as one additional J. Michael composition which also was not included the first time around.
Currently, J. Michael remains in the LA area, performing, instructing piano and guiar, composing, developing and recording his third CD project...
© Copyright 2008 J. Michael Henderson