Timeline
Robert John Henrit (born 2 May 1944) is an English drummer. He has been a notable member of several musical groups, including Buster Meikle & The Daybreakers, Unit 4 + 2, the Roulettes, Argent and The Kinks.
Robert John Henrit was born in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England on 2 May 1944. [1] He first played washboard as a teen, [2] progressing to a borrowed drum kit and left school at 17 with his parents' blessing [3] to pursue a distinguished music career. He was originally the drummer with Buster Meikle & the Day Breakers, together with Russ Ballard on guitar and Roy Ballard, Russ's older brother, on piano. [1]
His neighbour, Harry Webb (who would later perform under the stagename Cliff Richard [2] [4] ) introduced him to the Roulettes (1962–1967), gaining initial professional success with them. They had their own recording career and also backed popular music singer, Adam Faith, both on tour and on Acetate. [1] After the demise of the Roulettes, Henrit briefly (1968) toured, including the US with Unit 4 + 2, [1] their association dated back to his session drumming on their biggest hit, "Concrete and Clay" (1965).
Henrit teamed up with Russ Ballard, Jim Rodford and Rod Argent in late 1968, to form Argent, and remained with them until the band ended in 1976. [1] After a brief spell with Rodford and John Verity as Phoenix, Henrit's post-Argent career included work with a number of artists, including Charlie, [1] after their 1978 tour opening for The Kinks, and Ian Matthews.
As a session drummer, he worked with many solo albums by notable band lead singers [5] including the Who vocalist, Roger Daltrey, and was present on Dave Davies' Glamour (1981) and Chosen People (1983) solo albums. He also worked regularly with the GB Blues Band which, in addition to Rodford, included former members of the Mike Cotton Sound. In a 1972 interview, Keith Moon identified Henrit as one of his favourite drummers. [6]
Henrit replaced the long-serving drummer of the Kinks, Mick Avory, after Avory's departure in 1984. [7] [8] He worked with the act until their split in 1996. Henrit toured with the re-formed Argent intermittently between 2010 and 2013 and occasionally deputises for Mick Avory in the Kast Off Kinks.
Henrit published his autobiography, Banging On, in November 2013 and collaborated with Nigel Constable [9] [10] in writing, The Hayman Drum Book. [3] He would also regularly write for the Music Express. [2]
He owned Henrit's Drum Store [11] [2] on Wardour Street, customers included many leading drummers of the time, Ringo Starr purchased a drum kit, a gift for his son, paying in cash, recalls Henrit. [11] It came about when Henrit had flown to the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen to play drums on Ringo's album and enquired of him, whether the Drum Store was still going. Henrit participated in the 2021, Netflix movie, documentary, Count Me In. [12]
Henrit is married, and together, have three children. [2] He currently resides in the Forty Hill area of Enfield. [13] [5]
Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.
Michael Charles Avory is an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and percussionist for the English rock band the Kinks. He joined them shortly after their formation in 1964 and remained with them until 1984, when he left amid creative friction with guitarist Dave Davies. He is the longest-serving member of the band, apart from the Davies brothers. He is also the most prolific member, again apart from the Davies brothers, who has played on twenty studio albums or nearly all of the band's creative output.
Argent were an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of the Zombies. They had three UK top 40 singles: "Hold Your Head Up", which reached number five and spent 12 weeks on the chart, "Tragedy", and "God Gave Rock and Roll to You". Two of their albums charted in the UK: All Together Now, which peaked at number 13 in 1972, and In Deep, which spent one week at number 49 in 1973.
James Walter Rodford was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formation in 1969 until they disbanded in 1976. He was the bassist for the Kinks from 1978 until they disbanded in 1997. In 2004, he joined the reunited Zombies, whom he had been closely associated with since the early 1960s, and remained a member until his death in 2018. He was also a member of the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Kast Off Kinks.
Think Visual is the twenty-second studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released in 1986. It peaked at #81 on the Billboard chart.
John Verity is an English guitarist and singer. Best known for as a member of Argent, a band formed by Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. He joined the band alongside John Grimaldi, replacing Russ Ballard.
Russell Glyn Ballard is an English singer, musician and songwriter.
Word of Mouth is the twenty-first studio album by the English rock group the Kinks. "Do It Again" was released as a single from the album in 1985.
Encore: Live in Concert is a live double-LP by Argent which was released in December 1974, on Epic Records PEG 33079. The performance includes the Rod Argent penned Zombies hit "Time of the Season" (1968) and the Russ Ballard penned "I Don't Believe In Miracles" which was a UK #31 hit for Colin Blunstone in 1972. Blunstone had previously been the vocalist in the Zombies with Rod Argent.
UK Jive is the twenty-third studio album by the English rock group, the Kinks, released in 1989. It was the first album in almost three years since the 1986 album, Think Visual. At this point, it was the longest gap between album releases since the inception of the group.
Phobia is the twenty-fourth and final studio album by the English rock group the Kinks, released in 1993. It was their final studio album before their disbandment three years later and stands as their most recent album to date. It is also the only studio album credited to the Kinks which does not feature drummer Mick Avory in any capacity; though he left the band in 1984, he still played on individual songs on both Think Visual and UK Jive. The album was produced by Ray Davies himself as R. Douglas Davies.
Argent is the debut album by British rock band Argent. Released in 1970 on CBS Records, the album did not chart in either the U.S. or the UK and did not produce any hit singles, although the song "Liar" would become a top-10 Billboard hit the following year through a cover version by Three Dog Night. The track "Dance in the Smoke" was made popular in the UK by its inclusion on the best-selling CBS Sampler album Fill Your Head with Rock (1970).
The Roulettes were a British rock and roll and beat group formed in London in 1961. They were recruited to play as the backing group to singer Adam Faith the following year, and continued to perform and record until the late 1960s.
Ring of Hands is a 1971 album and the second released by British rock band Argent. It was originally released on Epic Records, E 30128.
Circus is the sixth studio album of Argent, released in March 1975 by Epic, and distributed by CBS. It was the last album as part of their contract with CBS Records and the first after the departure of founding member/lead vocalist/guitarist Russ Ballard. New lead vocalist John Verity was added at the recommendation of Ballard.
Counterpoints is the seventh and final album released by British rock band Argent in October 1975 on RCA Victor. This was the second studio album recorded without founding member Russ Ballard. John Verity stepped in to fill Ballard's shoes with the previous album Circus after Verity's band supported Argent on tour 1974 tour. Phil Collins played drums and percussion on Counterpoints while Bob Henrit was ill.
Nexus is the fifth album by British rock band Argent. Released in March 1974 on CBS Records.
In Deep is the fourth studio album by Argent, originally released by Epic Records in October 1973. It features the original full-length recording of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You", which reached No. 18 in the UK charts when released in edited form as a single later the same year. It was remade by Kiss as "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II" for the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey in 1991. The album reached #69 in Canada.
The Argent Anthology - A Collection of Greatest Hits is the first compilation album released by British rock band Argent. It was released on the Epic label in 1976. The British release was called The Best of Argent - An Anthology and had a different track list.
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