R&B singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry, creator of 1956 hit “Ain’t Got No Home,” dies

Clarence “Frogman” Henry, one of New Orleans’ best-known veteran R&B singers who rose to fame with “Ain’t Got No Home” when he was 19, has died at the age of 87 .

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation said on social media that Henry died Sunday night. It did not give a cause of death.

Henry, who was scheduled to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival later this month, imitated the frog’s voice from “No Way Home.” The song was a hit in 1956 and later brought Henry back to fame when it appeared on the soundtracks of Forrest Gump and Mickey Blue Eyes.

He attributed the nickname “Frogman” to disc jockey Poppa Stoppa (real name Clarence Heyman), a play on Fat Domino’s “Fat Man” nickname.

By 1958, Henry’s popularity was waning and he began performing in nightclubs on Bourbon Street.

“I thought the sun would shine. I thought my record would always stand at the top, but in 1958 a rain brought me back to New Orleans,” Henry told The Associated Press in 2003.
But in 1960, a new song, “I Don’t Know Why But I Do,” written by Cajun songwriter Bobby Charles and arranged by Allen Toussaint Know Why But I Do) brought Henry new success.

In 1964, he opened for 18 shows with Bill Black Combo and the Jive Five during the Beatles’ first US tour, and toured extensively from Scotland to New Zealand.

In Louisiana, Henry remains popular. He was also one of the few black New Orleans musicians to enter the Cajun music scene.

Born in New Orleans on March 19, 1937, Henry began playing piano at the age of 8, taking lessons that his sister disliked. He worked for his father until he was 15, often without money.

He played trombone and piano in the high school band and later joined The Toppers, touring southern Louisiana before becoming famous.

“When I was in school, I wanted to be Fat Domino, Professor Long Hair, and I would put on a wig with two braids and call myself Professor Long Hair,” Henry told The Associated Press. “I like Fats Domino rhythms, but I play my own chords and my own style.”

Henry’s national reputation faded, but he remained popular in Louisiana. He remained a regular on Bourbon Street until 1981, when he retired from the grueling club circuit. But he never gave up on music and went on to become an annual crowd favorite at the Jazz and Traditional Music Festival.

Funeral services are being conducted at Murray-Henderson Funeral Home.