The legacy of Hot Springs native Henry Glover, whose work behind the scenes left an indelible mark on R&B, rock 'n' roll, pop and country music, will be the focus of a forum on Saturday at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.
Speaking during the event will be Glover's daughter, Sherry Glover Thompson; percussionist Steven Kroon; and music historian Chris Richardson. Stephen Koch, host of the radio program "Arkansongs," which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, will moderate.
Glover, who was born May 21, 1921, began playing the cornet and piano in Hot Springs, though his parents weren't too thrilled about his musical pursuits, according to the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
He attended what is now Alabama A&M University in Huntsville on a music scholarship, graduating in 1943. He moved north and eventually found a spot playing in the Lucky Millinder Orchestra before taking a job with Cincinnati-based King Records (the label where James Brown got his start). He became a prolific composer, producer and talent scout.
Glover produced "Fever," the sexy R&B classic by Ouachita County native William Edward "Little Willie" John and produced or wrote music recorded by Ray Charles, Hank Ballard, Wynonie Harris and many others. He also worked with hillbilly artists like Grandpa Jones, Moon Mullican and the York Brothers as well as jazz musicians Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Willie Bobo and more. Glover co-wrote "The Peppermint Twist," a No. 1 hit for Joey Dee and the Starliters in 1961 and wrote "California Sun," which The Rivieras took to No. 5 on the Billboard charts.
Levon Helm, the Phillips County native who was the drummer-singer for The Band, counted Glover as a friend and influence. Glover recorded the group when it was backing up fellow Arkie Ronnie Hawkins as the Hawks, and was instrumental in convincing them to strike out on their own. Glover and Helm later co-founded RCO Productions and released two of Helm's solo projects as well as Muddy Waters' 1975 album "Muddy Waters at Woodstock."
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Thompson grew up in Cincinnati, and lives in Silver Spring, Md. She remembers her dad as always dressing in suits; she also remembered him as an avid photographer.
"I'm honored and humbled that I've been included," she said last month about participating in the panel. "This is my father. You can imagine the pride I have in knowing that he is being recognized for all his hard work. It's an amazing story."
Kroon was a music-obsessed kid in the early '60s who lived a few doors down from Glover in Queens, N.Y.
"He was really nice, man," he said. "You'd never know he was who he was. He had no attitude. I found out he was a producer and I started asking questions."
Glover was director of artists and repertoire for Gee Records, a subsidiary of Roulette Records and became a mentor to the young Kroon, who would go on to play percussion with Luther Vandross for 20 years and has recorded with the likes of Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Glover's influence rivals that of a much more well-known musician-producer, Kroon says.
"I keep telling people that Henry was Quincy Jones before Quincy Jones. I want to see Henry in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is an originator, a pioneer."
Koch sees similarities between Jones and Glover and how they approached their work in the studio.
"You think about Quincy Jones and you think about him being an artist-producer. He helps artists find their voices. That's what Henry Glover did. He gave them the artistic freedom to be who they were. He could hear the potential in that person and say, 'I'm going to make that happen.'"
Richardson, who like Thompson grew up in Cincinnati and now lives in Silver Spring, maintains zeroto180.org, a music website that includes a lengthy and informative section about Glover. It's high time for Glover to be recognized for his work, he said, noting that Glover isn't mentioned in "Country Music," the 2019 documentary by Ken Burns.
"You get the impression that between DeFord Bailey in the '20s and '30s and Charley Pride and a few others in the '60s and '70s, that there is no African American presence [in country music]. Henry Glover is the link, and that started with King during its peak years of commercial profitability. He was one of the best A&R producers in the business."
Glover died of a heart attack in April 1991 in St. Albans, N.Y. His legacy is beginning to get some notice, at least in his home state. In 2021, he was inducted into the Arkansas Walk of Fame in Hot Springs and the city proclaimed May 21 of that year, when he would have turned 100, as Henry Glover Day.
Along with the panel discussion, Saturday's event will also feature photos and artifacts from Glover's career. Thompson says there are plans to take the exhibit on the road.
"It's going to be a traveling exhibition, and the first stop will be in Cincinnati because of the King Records association. From there, we're going to go to some of the colleges, specifically Alabama A&M. He's well-known there as a distinguished alumni."
Henry Glover Panel Discussion
- Panelists: Stephen Koch, Sherry Glover Thompson, Steven Kroon, Chris Richardson
- When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham Little Rock
- Admission: $10 (box lunch included)
- Information: (501) 324-9685 | eventbrite.com