R&B Singer Dies After Surgery, Health Decline: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry Was 87

New Orleans rhythm & blues singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry, who was best known for his hit single “Ain’t Got No Home,” has died. Henry passed away of complications following back surgery at University Medical Center on Sunday, April 7, one of his daughters confirmed, per Nola.com. He was 87.

Henry’s passing came just days before he was set to play at this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, with his daughter sharing that Henry, whose health had been in decline for some years now, “insisted” on undergoing back surgery in February “because he thought he was going to walk and play Jazz Fest.” After returning to his home in Algiers, however, the musician suffered complications and was readmitted to the hospital. The year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival also confirmed his passing over the weekend, remembering him as “a beloved icon of New Orleans music” and stating that his absence at the upcoming festival “will be deeply felt.”

Henry’s career spanned six decades and began when he was just a child. Born in 1937, Henry grew up in the 7th Ward, with his family eventually moving to the lower coast of Algiers. His interest in music showed at an early age, with Henry not only playing trombone in the L.B. Landry High School band, but also taking piano lessons as a teenager. After buying his first piano for $610 when he was just 15, Henry joined Bobby Mitchell’s band, the Toppers.

Henry rose to fame in the late 1950s when he recorded “Ain’t Got No Home.” The song, released in 1956, featured the singer’s vocal range, including his normal voice, his falsetto, and his distinctive voice that could mimic the nickname that he became known for, dubbed the frog voice. He created the voice in high school to tease girls. “Ain’t Got No Home” not only reached No. 3 on the national R&B charts and broke into the Top 10 on the national pop charts, but it was also featured in movies like Casino (1955) and The Lost Boys (1987). Henry followed the song up with a cover of Bobby Charles’ “(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do,” which charted in 1961.

Five years after “Ain’t Got No Home” landed Henry on the music charts, he caught the eye of the Beatles, whom he first met in England in 1961. His manager, Bob Astor, worked for the same company that promoted the Beatles’ ’64 tour, which eventually led to Henry joining the Beatles’ first American tour after opening for the group’s performance in City Park.

Henry is remembered as a New Orleans icon, with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell saying in a statement, per WGNO, “a true son of the city, Frogman shared New Orleans music and culture far and wide – from Bourbon Street venues to the global stage… He came up during a time when our local music scene was thriving, and his name will be remembered among the greats.”