Celebrating the Birthday of Henry Butler
John Dunlop
Jazz and Blues pianist Henry Butler was born in New Orleans on September 21, 1948. Blinded by glaucoma at birth, at five years old he entered the Louisiana State School for the Blind. There was no piano in his home, so he memorized piano melodies until he found a piano to play. Butler was performing regularly by age 16, attending school during the day and playing, arranging and composing for the groups he played with at night. Butler not only played piano, he also learned drums and saxophone, and was successful both as a soloist and in groups in Los Angeles and New York City. A true Renaissance man, Butler earned a college degree and graduate degree and taught at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. Sadly, Henry passed away on July 2, 2018, but his music lives on.
By Dezz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45049229