Belford Cabell “Sinky” Hendricks (May 11, 1909 – September 24, 1977) was an American composer, arranger, pianist, conductor and record producer born in Evansville, Indiana. Hendricks became an important behind-the-scenes figure in American popular music, working with artists including Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Brook Benton, Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie.
Early Life in Evansville
Hendricks was born and raised in Evansville and attended Douglass High School, the city’s high school for African American students during the era of segregation. He graduated in 1924.
Hendricks later attended Indiana State Teachers College, now Indiana State University, where he studied science and music and played piano while working to support himself. He graduated in 1935.
During World War II, Hendricks served in the United States Army. After the war, he returned to Indiana for a period before eventually moving to New York City to pursue a career in music.
Music Career
Hendricks established himself as a talented songwriter, arranger, conductor and pianist. By the late 1950s, he was working closely with record executive and songwriter Clyde Otis at Mercury Records.
Hendricks, Otis and singer Brook Benton became a successful songwriting team. Together they wrote “It’s Just a Matter of Time,” which became a major hit for Benton in 1959, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 3 on the pop chart. The song later became a country standard and was recorded by artists including Sonny James, Glen Campbell and Randy Travis.
The trio also wrote “Looking Back,” which became a hit for Nat King Cole.
Dinah Washington
Some of Hendricks’ most important work came with legendary singer Dinah Washington. As an arranger and conductor, Hendricks helped shape Washington’s crossover from jazz and blues into mainstream popular music.
He arranged and conducted Washington’s 1959 recording of “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes,” one of the defining recordings of her career. The song became a major pop and R&B hit and earned Washington a Grammy Award.
Hendricks also worked extensively on Washington’s recordings during this period, including “Unforgettable” and “This Bitter Earth.”
He arranged the highly successful recordings Washington made with Brook Benton, including “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” and “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love).” Both reached No. 1 on the R&B chart.
Other Artists
Hendricks’ versatility allowed him to work across jazz, R&B, pop, soul and country music.
His credits included work with Aretha Franklin during her early Columbia Records years, as well as Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Johnny Mathis, Al Martino, Count Basie and other major recording artists.
He also worked extensively with Nat King Cole, arranging and conducting recordings and helping Cole explore country-influenced material. Singer Al Martino later sought out Hendricks on Cole’s recommendation, and Hendricks arranged Martino’s successful recording of “I Love You Because.”
Legacy
Although Hendricks spent much of his professional career outside Evansville, his career began with the musical education he received while growing up in the city.
His arrangements and compositions became part of some of the most successful recordings of the late 1950s and early 1960s, helping bridge jazz, rhythm and blues, pop and the emerging sound of soul music.
Hendricks died on September 24, 1977.
Today, Belford Hendricks is recognized as one of the most accomplished songwriters, arrangers and record producers to come from Evansville, despite spending much of his career working behind the scenes with artists who became household names.