Artist:Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Song:(I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do
Album:But I Do: The Complete Releases 1956-62
The single (I Don't Know Why I Live You) But I Do was a top five hit in 1961. It was the biggest hit for New Orleans R&B singer songwriter Clarence "Frogman" Henry when he recorded for Chess' Argo label. He was born Mar. 19, 1937 in New Orleans. His family moved to the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans in 1947 and Henry lived there his whole life. He learned piano as a child influenced by Fats Domino and especially Roy "Professor Longhair" Byrd. Henry even dressed like Professor Longhair when he performed at talent shows. He played piano for Bobby Mitchell & the Toppers from 1952-55 when he left to join saxophonist Eddie Smith's band. Henry had this croak that he used while performing the song Ain't Got No Home. This got him the nickname Frogman. Henry says he created the croak to scare the girls at school. Chess Records A&R man Paul Gayten heard Henry perform Ain't Got No Home and got him to record it in 1956. It was released on Chess' Argo label and reached #20 on the pop chart and #3 on the R&B chart. The odd thing is Argo only released Henry's music on singles. Henry's biggest hit was the 1961 single (I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the R&B Singles. The song was written by Paul Gayten and Robert Guidry AKA singer Bobby Charles. You can get all of Henry's Argo singles on this comp from the British label Acrobat. Henry left Argo in 1964. He didn't record much after that. But he continued to perform mainly in New Orleans. He even opened for The Beatles in 1964. John Lennon must have loved him. Henry married seven times and he had ten children. He was scheduled to perform at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when he died from complications after surgery on Apr. 7, 2024 at age 87. Here's Clarence "Frogman" Henry performing (I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do on a mid 60s TV show.
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