Nick Henderson, sophomore SXU student majoring in Communication, is pursuing a career as a singer, actor, and dancer in the entertainment industry. He recently released his single Forever in summer 2015, and later released his album Black and White in February 2016.
Born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Henderson, the youngest of three, demonstrated his talent and his potential in being an artist at a very young age. In an interview with The Xavierite, Henderson shared more about his personal life, how his entertainment career began, and details about his album.
With a very supportive family and friends, Henderson is pursuing his dreams. He mentions his mother as his main supporter since day one. “I can call her right now and say, ‘Mom, I have an audition could you take me? and she would try to get off work’ [laughs],” says Henderson.
Henderson’s family noticed his dancing ability when he was four years old. “My aunt always says this story when one day I was over at her house singing and dancing over Michael Jackson’s song Butterflies [laughs],” recalls Henderson.
At five, Henderson began hip hop dancing at his church. From there, a dance group was formed, in which Henderson belonged to, along with other dancers, and they would dance in local churches. Besides hip hop, Henderson currently dances contemporary and modern dance as well.
Henderson participated in annual shows and extravagant productions with Endure Productions, which is a non-profit organization providing dance and performance trainings for the youth, Henderson describes his time at Endure Productions as “an awesome experience” in which he felt his arts development “started to happen.”
Henderson has been highly involved in theater starring in plays and working with Broadway in Bronzeville Production Company and with Chicago director, John Ruffin. Henderson also signed with Gill Hayes Talent Agency. He is constantly auditioning for TV roles and currently has had appearances as an extra in the American drama series Chicago P.D.
As far as singing, Henderson didn’t realize his full potential until he was a little older. “I feel like singing was something that I knew I always did but I really didn’t realize like, ‘Oh! I can really sing!’ until maybe at 10.”
Having a soulful voice, Henderson describes his music as a combination of R&B and pop. Two of the major influences in his music are Brandy, recording artist and actress, and Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. He also admires singer-songwriters Adele, Meghan Trainor and Ne-Yo.
Originally aiming for an EP (extended play), Henderson, with the help of childhood friends, Titus and Timothy, worked on “Black and White” for three years. Titus and Timothy helped Henderson produce the album and write some of the songs.
With Black and White being his first album, Henderson says he feels “great.” “The fact that I set a goal and sought after it, I was persistent and achieved it, that is enough for me to be proud . . . A lot of people have these dreams that feel impossible to reach but if you are strategic, if you plan and are patient, you can really get close to achieving that.” Henderson describes his album as a “coming of age.”
“In the process, I was learning a lot about myself, my faith, my relationships with people, God and life, and just growing and entering into this place of independence and figuring out who I want to be and what I want to do in my life, so I really wanted to do an album that was transparent enough [for people to relate to],” says Henderson.
“I try to be the best me that I can be. I try to keep my faith first inn everything. So it’s definitely a faith based album and [at the same time] fun, upbeat, and positive,” adds Henderson. Henderson hopes to inspire and demonstrate to others what’s possible if you “focus and put your mind together.” For him, being on stage is a way to connect with his faith and with God.
“Every time I perform, it’s a new experience because I’m still learning and growing. I feel like I’m good at what I do, but I never want to feel like I’m good enough to stop learning and stop the process of becoming better. I love being on stage, I feel so close to God in a way, I feel He is moving and speaking through me . . . When I’m up there, I feel like I’m not even there,” says Henderson.
Henderson hopes to encourage and inspire others to accomplish their dreams, just as he is currently pursuing his. For Henderson, his faith and God are extremely important. “My faith is important. I always want people to know that I’m Christian and everything I do is [for God], it’s not about me being famous or becoming rich. I really want to show people what’s possible when you put God first, when you keep yourself at the bottom and stay humble . . . You’re destined to be greater,” says Henderson.
“I know for a fact that I was given the talent and the gift that I have for a positive reason. To spread positivity and love. I hope when people think of Nick Henderson, they think of a fun-loving person who loves life, people, and God. I want to be all about encouraging and inspiring. I’m not trying to be perfect, because, trust me, I’m far from it, and I will make tons of mistakes, but I hope to show people what’s real and how to be yourself,” says Henderson.
Henderson is aiming to positively contribute to the community, especially the African American community, to demonstrate [quoted] “there’s more to life than what society can present you.”
When asked where he gets his inspiration while writing, Henderson replied that he likes to examine himself and where he is in life. “I feel like, as a writer and artist, it’s’ all about appealing and relating to your audience, so I want to write about things that are true to me, but also about something everyone can relate to,” says Henderson.
One of his favorite songs in the album is Fakin’ It, which is a personal song describing how he felt when things weren’t happening as he wished. For Henderson, Fakin’ It is a reminder to “be patient and take it one day at a time because things will fall into place.”
Other favorite songs of his include Won’t Love Again, characterized by its groove and a Michael Jackson vibe; and Please Don’t Leave Me, in which Henderson expressed being highly proud of the song because it demonstrates his vocal creativity and range.
Even though it is challenging to balance both academic and entertainment career, Henderson values the importance of education and is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Communication. Following a schedule helps him remain organized. He believes majoring in Communication will help him learn and gain skills to better connect with his audience.
“Being educated is important . . . I always want to be well rounded . . . I will learn something that will help me out in my career of entertainment. Choosing to study Communication helps in the long run because, as an artist, you definitely want to know how to communicate with your audience and communicate in general through your music and artistry,” says Henderson.
Henderson hopes to get to perform on campus as well. He believes SXU should host a talent show where others would get to perform. He adds, “there are so many talented people here, I have a lot of friends here that are so talented and if [SXU] were to put up a show [on campus], it would be great for the SXU community.”
Henderson will have upcoming presentations to promote his album Black and White, including in the House of Blues on April 21. “I’m just blessed, I’m really grateful for the opportunity because a lot of people don’t get to perform at a venue like that until they’ve been in the business for years,” says Henderson excited to perform at the House of Blues.
Black and White is available to purchase on iTunes. For more information about Henderson, you may follow him on all social media platforms.
Miryam Villarreal
News Editor
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