Russell Henderson - Biography

Biography

Russ Henderson grew up in Belmont, Port-of-Spain. He founded the Russell Henderson Quartet in the 1940s and was soon well known in Trinidad. In 1951, Henderson travelled to England to study piano tuning at the North London Polytechnic.

He settled in England and founded Britain's first steelband combo with Mervyn Constantine and Sterling Betancourt, and has been vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival, having played at the first Children's Carnival there in 1964.

Henderson is currently a friend of the 606 Club in London, where he performs a monthly show with his revised jazz quartet, sharing the evening with the Al Whynette Band. In his retirement he has given numerous interviews with BBC Radio 4 and BBC Four on his Notting Hill past.