Jazz Singing Great Bill Henderson was a Gifted Supporting Actor in CLUE, CITY SLICKERS, FLETCH, BUCKAROO BANZAI, TROUBLE MAN, HARRY O, MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED, SILVER STREAK, INSIDE MOVES & More

Jazz Singer Bill Henderson, who recorded with Count Basie, Oscar Peterson & Horace Silver, and later became a supporting/small role film and TV character actor, was born in Chicago on March 19th, 1926.

Henderson also recorded with Jazz greats Eddie Harris, Yusef Lateef and Jimmy Smith

In front of the camera, Henderson is known for his juicy scene stealing bits in such comedies as CITY SLICKERS, CLUE, FLETCH, MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED and SILVER STREAK

Cult film fans know him best, in his element, as the Muddy Waters-like Saturn Theater performer King Blues, in 1983's GET CRAZY

''God, this is my man, and you better take care of him
or I'm gonna wax your ass''

Henderson made his acting debut in 1971 playing teachers on a couple of THE BILL COSBY SHOW episodes, working steady the next 35 years, appearing in almost 90 TV shows and feature films.

Besides King Blues, Henderson's other notable credits include:

Jimmy the pool hall owner in TROUBLE MAN with Robert Hooks, Mr. Davis in the HAPPY DAYS episode The Best Man, Watkins in CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME, Charles Rudolph in LOUIS ARMSTRONG - CHICAGO STYLE, the recurring role of Spencer on HARRY O, Charles Taylor, owner of Unity Ambulance, in MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED, a Red Cap on the SILVER STREAK, Champ Sugrue in ROOTS: THE NEXT GENERATIONS, Blue Lewis, denizen of Max's Bar, in INSIDE MOVES, the Train Conductor in CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, Casper Lindley in THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8th DIMENSION, the regular role of Torpedo on the short-lived 1984 CBS sitcom DREAMS, the Convention Speaker in FLETCH, The Cop in CLUE, Ben, Charles Bronson's bud, in MURPHY'S LAW, the Singer in the Valhalla Band in COUSINS, dentist Dr. Ben Jessup in CITY SLICKERS, a member of The Venice Beach Boys in WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP, a Riverboat Poker Player in 1994's MAVERICK, a Minister in GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, Mr. Redmond in HOODLUM and an Angry Patient in LETHAL WEAPON 4, among others.

With TROUBLE MAN Robert Hooks

HAPPY DAYS

The INSIDE MOVES cast included Henderson, Bert Remsen, Harold Russell, Steve Kahan, Jack O'Leary, Tony Burton, John Savage and David Morse

BUCKAROO BANZAI
Peter Weller, Henderson, Pepe Serna, Lewis Smith, Jeff Goldblum and the rest of the gang

With Lesley Ann Warren in CLUE

FLETCH

CITY SLICKERS with Phil Lewis, Josh Mostel, Bruno Kirby, Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, David Payner and Henderson

The Venice Beach Boys in WMCJ

A sample of Henderson's other film and TV credits include:

COOL BREEZE, GET CHRISTIE LOVE!, SANFORD AND SON, A SHADOW IN THE STREETS, LOUIS ARMSTRONG - CHICAGO STYLE, THE JEFFERSONS, FIRE SALE, WHAT'S HAPPENING!!, GOOD TIMES, THE KID FROM LEFT FIELD, HART TO HART, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, ONE SHOE MAKES IT MURDER, ACE CRAWFORD, PRIVATE EYE (as Mello), HILL STREET BLUES, FEAR CITY, THE FACTS OF LIFE, CAGNEY & LACEY, DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE, COLD CASE, MY NAME IS EARL, FAMILY LAW, TRIPPIN', ER, MAD ABOUT YOU, SMILING FISH & GOAT ON FIRE, KISS OF A STRANGER, TIMECOP, CONSPIRACY THEORY, NYPD BLUE, ROC, DEAR JOHN, HOW I GOT INTO COLLEGE, 227, CBS SUMMER PLAYHOUSE, WISDOM and more.

WISDOM

Tim Conway headlined the big ''swing & miss'' 1983 CBS sitcom
ACE CRAWFORD, PRIVATE EYE which also featured Henderson, Joe Regalbuto, Dick Christie, Billy Barty and Shera Danese