On November 25, audience members will see Pat Henman in a role she hasn’t played in Nelson yet: lead singer in a contemporary band.
In June 2010 Henman began a journey into a land she wasn’t familiar with. She asked all her family and friends if they had a song they would let her record because she was going to record a CD.
Sixteen songs were sent to her from all over Canada. The genre she wanted to sing was R&B and funk. Although she has stuck pretty close to the theme, there was some wiggle room.
“I have been a belter of musical theatre for a long time and I wanted to do something different. I went to the universe, I asked for R&B, and I got some pretty dynamite songs, from ballads, to blues, to Motown, and R&B. I couldn’t have been more thrilled,” says Henman. One of the most exciting elements was the chance to write a song.”
Pat co-wrote the song Closer with a friend, Carol Street.
“I listen to it and I find it hard to believe we sat around my patio table last summer, humming, strumming and laughing, and this song came out of it. It’s fantastic!”
Henman comes from a very musical family so she took advantage of her relatives. Her brother, Jim, and her cousin, David Henman were both original members of the rock band, April Wine, and they both write and record. She feels extremely lucky that both of them shared their music with her.
During her years in Toronto as a working actress and singer, Henman made many friends whom she still has close ties with. Out of those friendships came five more songs for her to record.
“It was an amazing process. My producer, the very talented John Tucker, also offered me a great tune, Good Feeling, which I close the album with.”
On November 25 at 8:30 p.m. at Finley’s Irish Bar & Grill, Henman will sing all the songs from her CD plus a few more. Her band consists of some of the finest musicians Nelson has to offer: Sydney Galbraith, Darren Mahe, Steven Parish, Rick Lingard, Tim Bullen, Danielle Corbin and Jesse Lee.
Tickets are $15 for the concert; CDs will be for sale also. You can buy your tickets at Finley’s or Otter Books in Nelson. If you call ahead you can reserve your table with dinner reservations.
For more information call 250-352-5121 or go to pathenman.com.