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Bandleader Skitch Henderson Dies at 87 |
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Written by TParker
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Wednesday, 02 November 2005 |
 Conductor, Skitch Henderson, passed away Tuesday of natural causes at the age of 87. Henderson was the founder of New York Pops and was the first "Tonight Show" bandleader.
He was born in England and moved to the U.S. in the 1930s. He barely made a living as a pianist playing vaudeville and movie houses. Skitch got his big break when he filled in for a sick pianist who was touring with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in 1937.
He later went on to work with Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and many other with MGM Studios.
Uncle Sam popped him in 1975 for tax evasion and threw him in jail for 6 months. His lawyer blamed the snafu on bad advice from an accountant.
As a veteran pilot during World War II, the man shouldn't have had to pay any damn taxes in the first place. 
Godspeed, Mr. Henderson, as you journey to your Grand Finale.
 Click here to read more about Skitch Henderson at FoxNews.com.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 November 2005 )
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