Like always, American Glen Henderson gave it his all when he took stage for
one last time at Paloma. The environment was electric and Glen at his usual
best but the air was melancholic, writes Umer Nangiana
For nine years, the charm of his zestful voice has reverberated across town. He has entertained the fans of American music like none other before him. However, after winning hearts with his music for almost a decade, Glen Henderson, a well-known singer and DJ, has decided to say adieu to hundreds of his Doha fans.
Like always, he gave it his all when he took stage for one last time at Intercontinental Doha’s Paloma this past weekend.
The environment was electric and Glen at his usual best but the air was melancholic. The audience knew they were watching him perform for the last time in Doha.
Glen is moving back to United States, the country of his origin from where he had come to Doha back in 2005.
Originally in a different role, when he first landed here, even Glen himself did not know he had this much untapped wealth of music hidden in him. Though an established singer and a learned musician, he truly discovered his knack to enthrall audiences here in Doha.
“I must say that I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving in Doha to discover how many good musical opportunities are here. In fact, I would say I have quite possibly had as many or more gigs here in Doha as I have had in many of my years in the US,” Glen told Community in a chat after his last concert at Paloma.
Doha was the first time he had ever lived outside the US. During his stay, Glen met “many wonderful people” from different countries and walks of life across race and religion, saying it had been fascinating to interact and make friends from all around the world.
“I really feel that my experience in Doha has opened up the rest of the world for me. I always wanted to travel all my life, but I have had for a variety of reasons only limited opportunities to travel,” said the American musician.
“Now, having lived in Doha and having made connections with people from around the world, I really feel very strongly that now is my time to go and see the world,” Glen noted.
Compared to his country, Qatar might have felt smaller. So how did he manage to find a big following here, too?
“There is a phenomenon called ‘big fish, small pond’. I have found that here in Doha as a professional musician if you do very simple things like show up on time, give a good performance and don’t act like an idiot; generally the bar or hotel managers will call you back for the next time,” explained Glen.
He said he always tried to live by it and tried to keep his commitments, give his best performances and developed a reputation. “My phone for the past few years has been ringing pretty regularly,” said Glen with a chuckle.
He originally arrived in Doha in 2005 as an IT professional for Weill Cornell Medical College. On a suggestion of a friend he auditioned for Doha Singers and had his first concert with them in December 2005, singing solos and in chorus.
Glen then got involved with Doha Players in 2006. He played the character of Daddy Warbucks in the Broadway musical Annie. “I think they picked me because I had the right hairstyle,” laughed Glen, bringing his bald head forward.
After doing a couple of more productions with Doha players, he met the founders of United Rhythm band. “I stepped in with them as their lead singer and we had a number of very successful years. We won awards, we were winning competitions here. Oh my goodness, we held many a show to a sold-out crowd and really had a great time with United,” recalled Glen.
He may not have arrived in Doha as a full-time musician, but the response from the audience to his initial efforts made him become one.
“I was doing many different concerts and gigs and after some time I became aware that it may be possible for me to really make a full-time living in music so, in fact, I actually walked away from my IT career,” said Glen. His passion for music goes back to his childhood.
Growing up in a church where music is a big part of the worship experience, Glen fell in love with music. Getting inspiration from his family, his own experiences and after discovering different styles, he realised that it was music that he wanted to pursue as a profession.
Glen said he started taking piano lessons as the age of six from many church services and concerts initially. He then moved on to learn the basics, the rudiments of music and it was in the university that he started taking voice coaching.
Having a degree in music, Glen’s principle study was in classical and Opera. “I really loved classical music, jazz and blues and so I have a pretty wide range of tastes, and fortunately, I have been blessed with the ability to sing,” said the talented musician.
However, he first discovered his singing voice after completing college. “I studied music in college, but it was not until probably my third year in school that I discovered that I could sing and may be a lot better than the guy next to me,” said Glen.
“One of my very first jobs out of university was as a lead singer with a rock’n roll band that toured across the US and Canada. It was during such learning experiences that I guess was when I really realised that I wanted to make a profession out of singing,” he elucidated.
Having earned so much love and respect from the people in Doha, why was Glen moving back to US?
“The major part of the reason why I feel it is time to move on is that I feel I have done just about everything I planned to do here. I have achieved most of the goals that I had set for myself in terms of music and other personal goals and so now it is time to move on and find a new horizon to shoot for,” the singer explained.
“There comes a time, I believe, in one’s life and place when one realises that it is simply time to move on. I am really looking forward to a new adventure back in my old country,” he smiled. His is moving to Houston, Texas with his fiancé. Glen will be continuing to make music throughout the US besides pursuing other business ventures, but he will be missed by many who had come to love his style and his voice here in Doha.
Glen said he would miss all the friends that he made in Doha. “The experiences with people that I have had here is the thing that I believe I will take with me the most,” he said before extending his gratitude to the people of Qatar, the locals and the expats, for the many opportunities they provided him to enchant them with his music.
Before standing up to have a last hug with many of his fans and friends gathered at Paloma, Glen wished Doha the best. He hoped to return on a visit someday.
