NEW ORLEANS — The funeral for New Orleans R&B legend Clarence 'Frogman' Henry has been set to take place in the artist's native Algiers on Saturday.
Visitation for Henry has been scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m. at the L.B. Landry High School. The funeral service has been set to follow; from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Clarence 'Frogman' Henry was 87 when he died in New Orleans from surgery complications. Still an active musician well into his old age, Henry had been scheduled to perform at Jazz Fest later in the month.
Henry got the nickname Frogman for his impersonation of the croaking amphibian in his 1956 hit, "Ain't Got a Home." The Frogman was only 18 years old when he recorded that R&B hit and from there had two more hit singles in the early 1960s, with 1961's "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" and "You Always Hurt the One You Love."
The Frogman's music was popular across the pond, too. The Beatles, who first toured in the United States and Canada in 1964, enlisted Henry to open for them at 18 different stops on their North America tour, including a September 1964 appearance at City Park.
Following Hurricane Ida Ida, the legendary singer and piano player was living in a moldy home and sleeping on his sofa, much of his record collection laid to waste.
But volunteers and donations made a rebuild possible and also allowed him to restore his piano and music collection and save his prized Saints jacket.
“I appreciate what the people have done for me. I appreciate. This is God's work. God has gotten new people to come and take care of me. I entertained people over 60 something years, and this is my reward from God,” Henry said at the time.
Every stuffed frog is clean. There's a new roof. Servpro took the damaged part of the Algiers home down to the studs. They even rebuilt aging floor joists, and upgraded the out-of-date, not-to-code electrical wiring.
“He is so pleased. He is so grateful, and so pleased, and that's what it's all about, you know. That's his just, just making him happy,” Servpro owner Joe Scott said.
His first piano, the one he bought for $610 as a teen by washing cars, can be cleaned, but not restored to play. But his record collection of 800 will be. His new bed arrives today and his closet and clothes are like new.
“I'm on a high. I'm on a high. I thank God,” Henry said over and over during the rebuild.
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