Clarence Henry began playing piano at the age of five. He was heavily influenced by New Orleans legend Professor Longhair and often imitated the piano wizard when he performed in local talent shows. In 1955, a scout from Chess Records heard Clarence sing “Ain’t Got No Home,” changing the sound of his voice with each verse, including his soon-to-be signature “croak” in the final verse. Clarence made a recording of the song and, with heavy promotion from a local DJ, it rose to Number 3 on the nation-wide R&B charts and Number 20 on the Pop charts. He earned himself the nickname “Frogman,” and sang the song for the rest of his career to the delight of fans.
After some early touring, including 18 shows as the opening act for The Beatles, Clarence became a staple on the New Orleans music scene, performing regularly on Bourbon Street for nearly 20 years. He was scheduled to appear at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the time of his death. Clarence was 87.
“Ain’t Got No Home” was used in a number of films including The Lost Boys and Casino.
This illustration was done for the Faces of Death Project, an internet-wide illustration project started by Michael Hambouz in 1997. This is my seventh year of participation.