As Joseph Michael, I am the youngest of four children, born October 11, 1952 in Muncie, Indiana to Ramon and Marjorie Henderson. I began my musical career early, at the age of nine years by teaching myself how to play the guitar from learning off of records and the radio. By the time I was thirteen, I was performing in various bands regularly at local teen clubs, private parties and college functions throughout the mid west. Around the age of fifteen, I began teaching myself how to play the piano by setting up next to the organ player and watching his hands play the chord changes. Needless to say, I elected singing and playing in bands as my 'crime of passion' throughout my remaining years at Muncie Burris Laboritory School owned by Ball State Teacher’s College at the time and now Ball State University.

While attending Western Kentucky University as a premed student, I found that he could get far more immediate satisfaction serenading the women's dormitories outside after hours than I could ever by studying; in fact , how my solo career developed was from collecting request notes thrown out of the girls' dorm windows along with love notes, canned foods, under garments and even money in some cases. I soon left the university after one year to pursue my music as a solo act, rather than to participate in the academic side of higher learning.

In 1976, at the age of 23, I released my fist solo album, 'To Make The Night Complete' on my own label, JMH Records. In addition to writing and arranging all of the material, I also played all of the instruments except drums and produced the entire project myself. I 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.

Having developed my own unique performing and writing style, I was opening shows and touring with major International acts in concert. Traveling extensively, performing in concerts and clubs from coast to coast, I was touring with such acts as Rod Stewart & Faces, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Hall & Oats, Loggins & Messina, REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh and a list of others (see attached tours, photos and press releases).

May 11, 1978, I was critically injured in an automobile accident. In a coma for six days, I suffered total memory loss, serious speech and muscle impairments and faced a long and difficult recovery, having to relearn practically everything, including my music, before I could resume my career (see attached press releases).

Years later, I released my second album, 'nite people', which I also self-produced and promoted. My efforts were rewarded with a Top 10 regional single,

'Look At You'.

Throughout the past three decades, I have been residing and working in the Los Angeles area as a performer, private music instructor, songwriter and student of life. In 1993, I returned to college to further my music teaching skills and have since received an Associates Degree in music from LA Pierce College, then on to study for the next four years in order 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' LP onto CD! As a result, sales and reaction have been amazing internationally! '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 vintage 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! This CD release has three alternate versions of tunes which were not included on the original release as well as one additional composition of mine which also was not included on the original Lp.

In 2015 and 2016, I released two new CD album projects consisting of all original material I recorded with my LoneStar Band at TRC Studios in Indianapolis in 1973-74 & 1974-75 respectively. There were 27 songs included between both album projects collectively which were originally intended for “demo” purposes in hopes to acquire a record deal with a major lable. Unfortunately, neither project was promoted effectively by the production company and thus, never got off of the ground...

After I had been saving all of these recordings on quarter inch reel to reel tape in boxes and dragging them around the country for over 41 & 42 years; plus, acquiring my publishing rights back (which were exchanged for “studio time”) I decided that it was time to actually put this collection of recordings together as two separate album projects to finally release as a legacy after being asleep on shelves for all of these years.

In 2015, I got together with a longtime friend from my hometown of Muncie, Indiana, Randy Hurdle and remastered 13 of these selections recorded in 1973-74. I then put a cover together using an original photo of that particular band configuration for those 13 selections and released:
J Michael Henderson + friends - Lost & Found Sessions Volume I.

In 2016, I took the remaining 14 selections which were recorded one year later in 1974-75  with one half of a different LoneStar Band configuration and along with Randy’s expertise remastered those selections as well. Just as in Volume I, I used a photo of that particular band and released:

  J Michael Henderson + friends - Lost & Found Sessions Volume II.

   

Currently, I remain in the LA area, performing, instructing piano and guitar, composing, developing and recording my fifth album project...my first “Live” album project:

J Michael Henderson - Solo “LIVE” Four Days Only.

© Copyright 2017  J Michael Henderson