New Bern -- Big Boy Henry
Richard Big Boy Henry b. May 26, 1921 in Beaufort, North Carolina d. December 5, 2004 in Beaufort, North Carolina Although Richard “Big Boy” Henry was an imposing figure at first glance, he was one of the sweetest, most gentle men ever to sing the blues. Born in Beaufort, North Carolina in 1921, he spent much of his life near the coast earning a modest living for himself and his family. As a youth he was drawn to the music of the itinerant blues singers who worked the streets near his home, and he learned to play the guitar. Before his first marriage, he made a fair name for himself as a powerful singer and versatile guitarist on the thriving Carolina blues scene. In the Fifties he stopped playing music, and didn’t pick up a guitar again until thirty years later, encouraged by some young musicians who had heard tales of his early exploits. Throughout the 80s and 90s Big Boy appeared at prestigious festivals throughout the states and abroad and issued numerous self-produced cassettes an...