He is a multi-faceted entertainer, who has continued to wow audiences decades after his brief recording career. Finis (pronounced Fie-Nis) Henderson grew up exposed to one of the greatest talents of the mid-20th century, as his father was Vice President of Sammy Davis Jr. Enterprises. He trained at the Chicago School of the Arts and, in the early 80s, moved to Los Angeles, where he began a career as a musical impressionist. His work making audiences laugh sometimes hid his significant talent as a musician, singer and songwriter.
Many folks first heard Henderson on Bill Wolfer’s underrated (but now sought after) 1982 album, Wolf, singing “Call Me,” which he co-wrote. He was signed by Motown, and teamed up a year later with former Earth Wind and Fire guitarist Al McKay for his debut album Finis. It was another example of a strong album that was stuck in the mess that was Motown in the 80s, and it stalled halfway up the Black album charts. That was too bad, because it was a well made and produced album, and even included a previously unreleased Stevie Wonder composition, the ballad “Crush on You” as well as a reimagined version of “Call Me.” Fortunately, the album had a life beyond its brief chart appearance, as the bouncy sleeper single “Skip To My Lou” became an underground dance classic that is revered now, decades after its brief chart appearance.
Finis was Henderson’s only album release, but it wasn’t the end of his career. Henderson has continued an active career as a musical impressionist, opening large venues for such artists as Smokey Robinson, while regularly headlining at casino resorts and comedy clubs, where he performs an entertaining show in which he does dead-on impersonations of Sammy Davis, Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias and others.
By Chris Rizik
