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Judy Henske (1936–2022), 1960s folk singer and songwriter

by Linnea Crowther

Judy Henske was a folk singer and songwriter known for songs including “High Flying Bird.”

Queen of the Beatniks

Henske began performing professionally in the late 1950s, and by the early ‘60s, she was a fixture of the burgeoning folk scene. With a low, powerful voice and blues-tinged vocals, she became influential on folk music despite never becoming one of its top stars. Her 1963 song “High Flying Bird” was the first recording of the song that would later be made famous by acts including Richie Havens (1941–2013) and Jefferson Airplane, and it inspired other folk musicians. Known for her funny, improvised stage banter, Henske was called “Queen of the Beatniks.” She was among several folk musicians featured in the 1963 movie “Hootenanny Hoot,” and she is said to have inspired Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” character after dating the director. After largely retiring from performing in the 1970s, Henske returned in the 1990s, performing live and recording two new albums.

Notable quote

“I wasn’t a, what I call, a dulcimer girl. (Sings in high-pitched voice) ‘Oh my lover is gone, lost in the war in Germany.’ I was a beltin’ person. I was belting all the time. Therefore, I had a harder edge to what I was doing. ‘I Know You Rider,’ ‘Columbus Stockade,’ I wanted drums.” —from an interview with Richie Unterberger

Tributes to Judy Henske

Full obituary: The New York Times

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