Nona Hendryx

Nona Hendryx
Hendryx performing at the Bowery Poetry Club as part of the Captain Beefheart tribute Best Batch Yet (June 7, 2011)
Hendryx performing at the Bowery Poetry Club as part of the Captain Beefheart tribute Best Batch Yet (June 7, 2011)
Background information
Birth nameNona Bernis Hendryx
Born (1944-10-09) October 9, 1944 (age 80)
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
Years active1961–present
Labels

Nona Bernis Hendryx[4] (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade".[5] In 1977, Hendryx released her self-titled debut solo album, a commercial failure that resulted in Hendryx being released from her recording contract. In the early 1980s, Hendryx sang with experimental funk group Material, achieving the hit "Busting Out".

Material produced her second album, Nona (1983), containing the modest Top 30 R&B and Dance charts hit "Keep It Confidential". The album cut "Transformation" became a Hendryx signature song. In 1985, Hendryx wrote and recorded the Grammy nominated song "Rock This House" with Keith Richards from her fourth solo album The Heat (1985).[6] Hendryx went on to record the theme for Moving Violations and "I Sweat (Going Through the Motions)", a commercial hit for Hendryx from the Jamie Lee Curtis film Perfect. She also took part in the Artists United Against Apartheid project with the international hit, "Sun City", from the album of the same title. Hendryx's 1987 single "Why Should I Cry?", from her fifth album became a Top 10 R&B chart hit. She recorded "Transparent" from the 1988 Eddie Murphy vehicle, Coming to America. Hendryx received an Emmy nomination as a composer of People: A Musical Celebration in 1996 for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.[7]

She has also appeared on the third season of The L Word.Her music has ranged from soul, funk, and R&B to hard rock, new wave, and new-age. She stated in an interview that her family's last name was originally spelled with an 'i' and that she is a distant cousin of guitarist Jimi Hendrix.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski, Patricia, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (3rd ed.). Fireside. p. 430. ISBN 0-7432-9201-4.
  2. ^ a b c d Abramowitz, Ari (2004). Pockit Rockit Music Finder. Music Guru Incorporated. p. 15. ISBN 9780975978702.
  3. ^ "Words of the Week". Jet. Vol. 66, no. 22. Johnson Publishing Company. August 6, 1984. p. 40. ISSN 0021-5996.
  4. ^ "Nona Hendryx | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Lee, Bill (2008). "Voulez-Vous Fonk-ay Avec Moi? LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade"". Bass Player. 19 (4): 72–73.
  6. ^ "Nona Hendryx". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nona Hendryx". emmys.com. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Nona Hendryx: Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. August 7, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2014.