Music
Billy Henderson
1939–2007 · singer, dancer
Founding member of the Spinners, raised in Royal Oak Township, who was the group's leading dancer for half a century.
- Born
Indianapolis, Indiana- Died
Daytona Beach, Florida
aged 67- Birth name
- William Henderson
- Detroit years
- 1940s–1970s
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Henderson was born in Indianapolis and grew up in Royal Oak Charter Township, north of Detroit. In 1954 he and four friends at Lincoln High School in Ferndale formed the Domingos, soon renamed the Spinners; the group recorded for Harvey Fuqua's Detroit label Tri-Phi and then for Motown before its 1970s run of hits on Atlantic, including "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "Then Came You" with Dionne Warwick and "The Rubberband Man". Henderson was the only member of the classic five never to sing lead; he was the second tenor in the middle of the harmony and the group's best dancer, known for his animated stage presence. He stayed exactly 50 years, until 2004. He died of diabetes complications in Daytona Beach in 2007 and is buried at Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.
Highlights
- Co-founded the Spinners in 1954
- Group member for 50 years (1954–2004)
- Known as the Spinners' best dancer
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 (posthumously)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1954
Lincoln High School
Status being checked
The Spinners were formed here in 1954 by schoolfriends.
Recorded here · 1963–1971
Motown Museum
The Spinners recorded their Motown singles here.
Buried here · 2007
Woodlawn Cemetery
His grave.