Heather Henderson
{{short description|American burlesque artist and podcaster}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Heather Anne Henderson
| image = Heather Henderson.jpg
| caption = Henderson in 2015
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|3|7|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Camden, New Jersey U.S.
| nationality = American
| other_names = Baby Heather
| known_for = co-host of Skeptically Yours and Ardent Atheist podcasts
| education =
| employer =
| occupation = Burlesque artist, podcaster
| years_active = 1974–present
| networth =
| height =
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| predecessor =
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| website = [http://www.hhenderson.com hhenderson.com]
| footnotes =
| module = {{Listen voice
| filename = Heather Wiki Intro.ogg
| recorded = May 2015
}}
}}
Heather Henderson (born March 7, 1973) is a professional burlesque dancer and podcast host who uses the stage name Baby Heather. She is an advocate for skeptical inquiry and atheism and won the 2012 People's Choice Podcast Awards in the religion/inspiration category for her Ardent Atheist podcast. From 1989 to 1991, Henderson was a regular performer on the Dance Party USA television show.
Early life
Henderson was born on March 7, 1973, in Camden, New Jersey.{{cite journal|title=Regular of the Month|journal=Official Dance Party USA Newsletter|date=June–July 1990|volume=1|issue=3}} Her mother was a Hungarian Jew.{{cite web|last1=Gaudette|first1=Bridget|title=Shades of Black Atheism #9: Performer & Podcaster, Heather Henderson |url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/03/05/shades-of-black-atheism-9-performer-podcaster-heather-henderson/|website=Friendly Atheist|publisher=Patheos|access-date=April 27, 2015}} When Henderson was 10, in 1983, her father left the home. She attended Camden City Public Schools.{{cite news|title=New Name, New Everything|publisher=Courier-Post|date=Jan 23, 1987}} She describes herself as a "shy and quiet girl" who did not talk back and believed everything her mother told her.
At age fifteen, she appeared on a nationwide teen dance show called Dance Party USA. She appeared on the show regularly for three years and went by the nickname Baby Heather. When Henderson's mother became involved with Jews for Jesus, they started attending progressive Christian churches, making Henderson very uncomfortable. As soon as she was old enough, Henderson told her mother she would not attend church again.
In 2011, Henderson moved to Los Angeles with friends.{{cite web|last1=Rael|first1=John|title=Heather Henderson interview (Be Skeptical episode 6)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=980&v=tTJATa2IGrs|website=IIG West|date=3 February 2012 |publisher=IIG|access-date=April 27, 2015}} In order to raise money to purchase a plane ticket, she organized a fundraiser for herself with burlesque friends who donated their talent for a one-night show.
Film and television
Henderson was a regular dancer on the local television show Dancin' on Air and the nationally televised Dance Party USA from 1989 to 1991. In her last year, she became a co-host. Henderson has also appeared on Sesame Street, Nickelodeon's Double Dare, in the film Mannequin Two: On the Move,{{cite web|last1=Ellingsworth|first1=Jen|title=Soulamite in Spotlight at The Frogg Pond Feb 28-29|url=http://cpg.stparchive.com/Archive/CPG/CPG01282005p084.php|publisher=Cape Gazette|access-date=April 28, 2015}} and on Disney's Annapolis.
Music and recording career
In her teens, Henderson released a single called "Give It Up" using her Dance Party nickname “Baby Heather.”{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Christopher|title=MTS: Meet Heather Henderson|url=http://meettheskeptics.libsyn.com/mts-meet-heather-henderson|publisher=Meet the Skeptics|access-date=April 22, 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022115226/https://meettheskeptics.libsyn.com/mts-meet-heather-henderson | archive-date=October 22, 2014}} Billboard gave the single a positive review.{{cite magazine|last=Flick|first=Larry|title=Dance Trax Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=May 1, 1993}}
Henderson played with Penn Jillette's No God Band in 2011.{{cite web|last1=Bowen|first1=Justin|title=Is that Penn Jillette, rocking the bass guitar?!|date=13 July 2011 |url=http://lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jul/13/penn-jillette-rocking-bass-guitar/|publisher=Las Vegas Sun|access-date=April 27, 2015}}
Burlesque career
Henderson worked from 1993 to 2010 in the erotica industry, doing stripping, burlesque, foot fetish parties, dominatrix work, and lap dancing. Henderson got involved with burlesque after a friend who was doing a "variety" show asked her to sing background.{{cite news|title=I Use my Mac for... Showbiz!|agency=Apple Profile Mac Format.com|publisher=Apple|date=July 2014}}
She left burlesque in 2010.{{cite web|last1=Murtha|first1=Tara|title=Sexy Issue: Erotica in Philly Exploring the other side of Philly's kinky side.|url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/Sexy-Issue-Erotica-in-Philly.html|publisher=Philadelphia Weekly|access-date=March 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150317051112/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/Sexy-Issue-Erotica-in-Philly.html|archive-date=March 17, 2015}} In 2013, Henderson returned to perform at the first Hollywood Burlesque Festival.{{cite web|title=Performers|url=http://www.hollywoodburlesquefestival.com/performers|website=Hollywood Burlesque Festival|access-date=April 21, 2015}} Time Out Los Angeles listed her as one of the "Best Burlesque" performers and called her "the singing emcee with 'ferocious vocals.'"{{cite web|last1=Wertheimer|first1=Kate|title=Best burlesque performers in LA: Heather Henderson|url=http://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/clubs/best-burlesque-performers-in-la-heather-henderson|publisher=Time Out Los Angeles|access-date=April 21, 2015}}
Film making
Henderson filmed several short fetish videos. Inspired by friend Norm Walker, her film PODONUTS features Walker eating cream-filled donuts off the feet of women (one of which is Henderson). Philadelphia Weekly states it "routinely wins over even the most squeamish spectators with its sex-positive message and thrillingly syncopated movement sequences.".{{cite web|last1=McElhinney|first1=Andrew Repasky|title=The Short End of the Flick Anna Frangiosa and Heather Henderson define the new Philly avant-garde|url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/the_short_end_of_the_flick-38425469.html|publisher=Philadelphia Weekly|access-date=April 22, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150423064107/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/the_short_end_of_the_flick-38425469.html|archive-date=April 23, 2015}}
Henderson's 2009 film Marcella and Sofia, a fetish film about a young couple being sexually corrupted by two female captors (one of which is Henderson), won a Claw Award for best cinematography from the Terror Film Festival.{{cite web|title=Official 2009 Claw Award Winners & Nominees|url=http://www.terrorfilmfestival.net/files/101083828.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053827/http://www.terrorfilmfestival.net/files/101083828.pdf|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 4, 2016|publisher=Terror Film Festival|access-date=April 28, 2015}}{{cite web|title=JEKYLL AND HYDE ANNOUNCE THE 2009 CLAW AWARDS!|url=http://terrorfilmfestival.net/files/79940516.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501103635/http://terrorfilmfestival.net/files/79940516.pdf|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 1, 2015|publisher=Terror Film Festival|access-date=April 28, 2015}}
Podcasts
File:Recording Skeptically Yours 2014.JPG, Mark Edward, Emery Emery and Heather Henderson]]
Henderson is the co-host of two podcasts with Emery Emery, Ardent Atheist and Skeptically Yours. They started producing the Ardent Atheist podcast in February 2011.{{cite web|title=Episode List|url=http://ardentatheist.com/episodes/|website=Ardent Atheist|access-date=28 April 2015}}
In 2012, Ardent Atheist won best podcast in the religion inspiration category for The People's Choice Podcast Awards.{{cite web|title=Podcast Awards|url=http://www.podcastawards.com/index.php?option=pastwinners|publisher=The People's Choice Podcast Awards|access-date=April 27, 2015|archive-date=December 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210230028/http://www.podcastawards.com/index.php?option=pastwinners|url-status=dead}}
From November 2012 to April 2013 Henderson appeared as a featured segment on the Skepticality podcast. Her segment was called News in Religion.{{cite web|title=About the Show|url=http://skepticallyyours.net/|website=Skeptically Yours|access-date=April 27, 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Heather Henderson}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mihuge7HF0c Official Audio] Give it Up by Baby Heather
- [http://ardentatheist.com/ Ardent Atheist] podcast
- [http://skepticallyyours.net/ Skeptically Yours] podcast
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Category:Jewish American atheism activists
Category:American women podcasters
Category:American religion and spirituality podcasters
Category:Musicians from Camden, New Jersey
Category:African-American activists
Category:African-American atheists
Category:20th-century African-American women singers
Category:20th-century American women singers
Category:20th-century American singers
Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
Category:21st-century American singers