fletcher henderson began his musical career with black swan records
In New York City, Henderson shared an apartment with a pianist who worked as a musician in a river boat orchestra. When his roommate was too sick to perform, Henderson took his place, which soon gave him a job as a full-time replacement. In the fall of 1920 he found work as a song demonstrator with the Pace and Handy Music Co. Henderson now found that music would be more profitable than chemistry and left his job as a lab chemist to begin a life in music. When Pace left the company to start Black Swan Records, he took Henderson with him to be musical director, a job which lasted from 1921-1923. From 1920-1923, he primarily played piano accompaniment for blues singers. Henderson toured with the Black Swan Troubadours featuring Ethel Waters from October 1921 to July 1922.
Fletcher Henderson