Clarence Henderson, gonzo consultant, American music encyclopaedia, former hippy, Vietnam War radar sergeant, PhD writer for thousands, brother, loving husband and father, and the rock on which his family flourished, died of cancer at Makati Med on 12 February.
It is not easy to remember Clarence “as he was” before the sickness came, toyed with him for a year and finally drove him down last Monday. Physically, the cancer and the chemo changed him very much. He lost about 40 pounds and all of his hair and aged 20 years. Clarence went through quite a cool looking stage, when he resembled the older Dennis Hopper, but, that period apart, his physical deterioration was marked and unsettling.
Mentally and spiritually though Clarence was never stronger than during his last year, proving that a dark sense of humour has its uses. I honestly don’t remember him ever complaining or looking for pity. He was always optimistic and positive—it didn’t do him much good in the end, but it made life much easier for the rest of us. I have enormous respect for the way he lived out his last year; if I can do half as well when my time comes I’ll be happy.
Clarence was born in Indiana, of hillbilly roots, as he would proudly tell you. His fire and brimstone background no doubt accounted for his deep feel for American music, from the Carter Family to Mississippi John Hurt to Willie Nelson, John Lennon and the Grateful Dead. Clarence used to keep a group of us at work going with his activities as an e-mail DJ. Monday morning would start with something topical, say, “Stormy Monday” by T-bone Walker, and as the week progressed we would receive a lesson in musicology that might include some rare gospel or doo-wop, or obscure recordings from the Vietnam War era.
Clarence would only go so far though, grumbling in his more curmudgeonly moods that nothing good had been recorded since Blood on the Tracks. Clarence's goal was to be a famous writer and his rollicking life story is recounted in his unpublished autobiography Hillbilly Highway, which charts the passage of Clarence and his brother Paul through confused and turbulent America in the late 1960s and 1970s, ending in the heartbreaking description of Paul’s death from AIDS. Here is its prescient opening:
Life can seem incredibly strange when you really sit down and think about how much craziness you can survive, about how many things in life are unfair, about how life sometimes ends up brutally and prematurely, about how we’re probably all reborn somewhere up the road, and about how all that philosophical stuff doesn’t matter in the long run anyway.
Clarence is gone now and with him a small but vital part of 1960s America. Gone too are Clarence’s vast musical knowledge, his feel for a huge range of topics across the whole range of social science, his quick learning, clear writing, and his deep and constant love for his wife Daphne, son Ivan, and his daughters. He’s gone, but not forgotten.
Thanks for suggesting the clip Albert.
That was a moving eulogy. I'm sure his family will appreciate it. That was a poignant clip too. I'm sure Clarence will have approved.
Posted by: frayed | February 20, 2007 at 08:55 PM
I hope Clarence knew how well he was loved. Such a selfless guy. He left an incredible impression on his family and friends... just hope he knew that.
Posted by: Erin | February 21, 2007 at 12:01 AM
Will now read 'on the road' again. Anyway, some people are on the road forever!
Posted by: brommel | February 21, 2007 at 05:06 AM
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..."
Posted by: velvetcarabao | February 22, 2007 at 03:13 PM
I remember you making kwento to me about this guy. He died? So sad. He really seemed like an interesting chap.
May he rest in peace.
Posted by: carlos | February 22, 2007 at 04:24 PM
No more Pearls? Ugh! He will be missed dearly!
Posted by: Expat | February 23, 2007 at 03:02 AM
This is very sad news. I never met Clarence but I knew him through his beautifully written pieces in "Pearl of the Orient Seas".
Yes, he will be missed!
Posted by: Sidney | February 23, 2007 at 05:12 AM
I'm sorry I never got the chance to meet him... I'm sure I would have enjoyed hime immensely.
Well, I'm fully esconced in Baltimore - I guess its been a month now - and the happiest I've ever been in my life - I'm in love with my 1810 rowhouse and my neighborhhood - you and Frayed need to visit!
Posted by: skunkeye | March 03, 2007 at 02:09 PM
It was pure chance that I read your blog and saw this unhappy news. We emailed sporadically and I had been meaning to meet with him after I arrived back in the Philippines. Procrastination has never been so ugly.
Posted by: Miguk | March 06, 2007 at 06:51 PM
I knew Clarence, oh, so well. He was a hero for us all. He blended--often awkwardly, sometimes humorously--dreams, family, tragedy and adventure better than ANYONE that I have ever known.
Good bye, Clarence.
Love and Aloha,
Gary
Posted by: Gary Fontaine | March 26, 2007 at 11:43 PM