Alan Henderson, the bass player for Irish band Them, has died in the USA at the age of 72.
Them was Van Morrison’s band before he went solo. They gave Morrison his first hits with ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Here Comes The Night’.
Alan played bass for Them from 1964 to 1971 and returned for a brief reunion in 1979. Them had a short innings with Morrison and Henderson splitting during a US tour. Morrison and Henderson continued to perform as but had to compete with Billy Harrison and Paul McAuley who also continued to use the name. Morrison and Henderson later won a court case to be the real Them. McAuley continued to perform with a new band known as ‘Other Them’.
Henderson and Harrison reformed Them in 1979 without Morrison but the reunion was shortlived.
Them ‘Gloria’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
After Them, Alan became a construction worker.
