Judy Henske Cause of Death Revealed: 'Queen of Beatniks' Died at 85

A pillar of 60s Folk music, Judy Henske, recently passed away at 85 years old.

According to a Variety article, the singer-songwriter died last Apr. 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.

Henske's Husband, Craig Doerge, confirmed the icon's death to Variety today. Per Doerge, Judy Henske died due to natural illness at hospice care in the area.

No additional information about what caused her to finally succumbed to death was revealed to the public. Details of her death might emerge in the coming days.

Producer Jack Nitzsche dubbed Judy Henske as the "Queen of Beatniks" as she performed at folk clubs in the early 1960s with her 6-feet tall stature and "booming voice."

Who is Judy Henske?

Born Judith Anne Henske on Dec. 20, 1936, Judy grew up in small-town Chippewa Falls in Wisconsin to a father and a mother who were a doctor and a homemaker, respectively.

She started her education at Notre Dame Grade School, then Notre Dame-McDonell Memorial High School. She then started studying music at the Rosary College in River Forest, Illinois, then eventually transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Afterwards, she worked in Ohio for quite a while, then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to work at a Quaker cooperative as a cook.

In 1959, Henske relocated to San Diego, California, where she started performing at local coffee shops before moving to the big leagues in Los Angeles, before getting noticed for her "full throttle, foot-stomping, hard-belting delivery of folk ballads."

Judy Henske Music Career

In 1962, Henske performed in Oklahoma City and was later recruited by the former Kingston Trio member Dave Guard to join the Whisky Hill Singers. In this group, she later on recorded her first album.

Herb Cohen, her notorious manager who also managed Frank Zappa, signed her as a solo artist to Elektra Records. Eventually, Henske released a couple of albums that combined folk, jazz, blues, and a little standup comedy genres.

She, later on, produced timeless folk hits "Wade in the Water and "Love, Henry," which were mixed with notes of her comedic humor. (via Best Classic Bands)

Judy's 1964 hit, "High Flying Bird," was reported to have anticipated the impending folk-rock revolution that came years after - paving the way for psychedelic tunes from Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.

Judy Henske was survived by Craig Doerge, her daughter Kate DeLaPointe and her daughter Claire DeLaPointe. Additional details for Henske's memorial shall be reported soon.

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