Country Musician. A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, he was the lead singer of the popular early country band, "Cousin Herb Henderson & The Trading Post". A talented musician of country and hillbilly rock, he was also a noted early television star, who was one of the key figures in the development of country music sound of Bakersfield, California. A self-taught pianist and a comedian, he grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, later moving to California, to seek his fame and fortune on the advice of a close friend of his, bandleader Bill Woods. Henson boarded a Union Pacific train bound for Bakersfield, California, in 1946, where upon his arrival he took several jobs to make ends meet, including a door-to-door laundry pickup up man for a company out of Fresno, California, and as a cotton picker in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley in California. In 1946, Henson also got a job working at the KERO Radio Station located in Bakersfield, California, where he also performed regularly at local honk-tonks, and clubs such as the Blackboard and the Clover Club. By 1953, he was offered his own television show, on radio station's television network, KERO-TV. In September 1953, his weekday variety show entitled, "The Cousin Herb Henson Post TV Show," premiered for the first time. The 45-minute program at first had guests including Henson's friend bandleader Bill Woods, steel guitarist Billy Mize, and other personalities he knew from the clubs he had played. The show's band that he got from the Clover Club included future country music stars Buck Owens and Bonnie Owens. The program starting bringing on other talented musicians including, Dallas Frazier, Al Brumley, Roy Nichols, Bob Wills, Tex Ritter, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Travis, Gene Autry, and Johnny Cash, among others. Another noted guest was a young singer named Barbara Mandrell, who at the time of her appearance was ten years old. Henson also became a recording star on several recording labels including Decca, Tally, Shasta, and Capitol. Some of his recordings include, "Y'All Come", "Lose My Mind", "Board Of Education", "Space Command", "Hootchy Kootchy Henry", "Walkin' On Easy Street", and "Fuzzy Wuzzy", among several others. The "Y'All Come" single became a big success for him and his signature song. Following the success of his program, he was appointed to station manager of the KIKK Radio Station also in Bakersfield, California, in 1960. That same year the radio station changed its name to KUZZ in honor of Henson's stage moniker. In early 1960, his health took a turn for the worse and due to his over-working he suffered one of his first heart attacks. Despite his failing health he continued to work on both his radio and television shows, and his nightclub appearances. On September 12, 1963, he celebrated the tenth anniversary of the premiere of his television program, "The Trading Post," with over two dozen country singers including Roy Clark and Tommy Collins at the Bakersfield Civic Center in Bakersfield, California. On November 26, 1963, 'Cousin Herb' Henson suffered a fatal heart attack and he passed away at the age of 38.