Nona Hendryx

Nona Hendryx Artistfacts

  • October 9, 1944
  • Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Nona Hendryx is a vocalist, songwriter, and record producer. Her eclectic career has ranged from funk to hard rock to New Wave.
  • She was a founding member of the trio Labelle, who had a radio hit with the song "Lady Marmalade."
  • In a Songfacts interview, she explained that she is a cousin of Jimi Hendrix, "maybe third or fourth removed."
  • Hendryx considers herself primarily a writer. She told Songfacts, "I became a singer because I was a writer. And that is the difference for me. I am compelled to write. And so I sing because I can express/translate what it is I've written emotionally to people."
  • Hendryx is an outspoken gay-rights activist and has identified herself as bisexual. She performed with Cyndi Lauper on Lauper's True Colors tour.
  • In 2017, Hendryx collaborated with Gary Lucas on a compilation of Captain Beefheart songs titled The World of Captain Beefheart.
  • Hendryx wrote the song "Checkmate" for Dusty Springfield's 1978 album It Begins Again.
  • In 1981, she collaborated with Talking Heads keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison on his solo album The Red and the Black. She has contributed backing vocals to multiple Talking Heads songs.
  • In 2017, she performed in Nick Cave's UNTIL exhibit at the MASS MoCA museum.

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