Bob Henrit

Bob Henrit
Name	Bob Henrit
Birth date	1944-04-02
Birth place	Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation	Drummer, musician
Years active	1960s–present
Associated acts	Unit 4, The Roulettes, The Kinks, Argent, John Entwistle

Bob Henrit Robert Peter Henrit (born 2 April 1944) is an English drummer noted for his work in British rock and pop from the 1960s onward. He rose to prominence with Unit 4 and The Roulettes, became a long-serving member of The Kinks, and contributed to recordings and tours with artists across the British Invasion, progressive rock, and classic rock scenes. Henrit's career spans session work, band leadership, and studio collaboration with prominent musicians and producers.

Early life and education

Henrit was born in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, during the Second World War and grew up amid postwar cultural shifts that produced the British Invasion, the rise of skiffle, and the growth of live music venues such as the Marquee Club and Ealing Club. He developed an interest in drumming influenced by recordings from artists on labels like Decca Records, Columbia Records (UK), and EMI. Henrit learned his craft in local bands and through live performances in venues tied to the burgeoning beat group scene.

Career with Unit 4 and The Roulettes

Henrit joined early professional projects that connected him to national acts and managers associated with the British pop circuit. He was a member of Unit 4's rhythm section during an era that intersected with chart hits promoted by companies such as Pye Records and producers working for studios including Abbey Road Studios and Trident Studios. Transitioning to The Roulettes, Henrit worked alongside artists who toured with figures from the Swinging Sixties; the group toured with and backed singers connected to agencies like Brian Epstein's circle and played shows at venues on bills with acts represented by NEMS Enterprises.

The Kinks and Session Work

Henrit became widely known when he joined The Kinks after a period of session work and membership in the band Argent. With The Kinks, Henrit performed on albums and tours that engaged with the band's catalogue spanning from the British blues-inflected early period through later concept albums and arena tours. His session credits include work with producers and artists associated with MCA Records (United States), RCA Records, and collaborations alongside musicians from groups such as Small Faces, The Who, and The Rolling Stones circles. Henrit's studio contributions connected him to engineers and arrangers who worked at major studios like Olympic Studios and with arrangers from the Wolsey Studios era.

Later projects and collaborations

After his tenure in long-term bands, Henrit continued to record and tour in projects that linked him to veteran rock musicians and reunion shows. He participated in sessions and live lineups that included members from Argent, John Entwistle-led ensembles, and musicians associated with legacy acts such as Status Quo, Jethro Tull, and Procol Harum. Henrit has also contributed to tribute concerts, festival appearances at events like Isle of Wight Festival, and collaborations with producers from the classic rock revival movement.

Style, equipment, and technique

Henrit's drumming is characterized by steady timekeeping, tasteful fills, and an ability to adapt to styles from beat music to progressive rock and art rock. His technique emphasizes groove and song-serving patterns favored by drummers who recorded at Abbey Road Studios and toured with headline acts in the 1960s and 1970s. Over decades Henrit used drum kits and hardware from manufacturers prevalent among British session drummers, and worked with cymbal makers and microphone techniques developed in studios such as Trident Studios and Olympic Studios.

Personal life and legacy

Henrit's career places him among a generation of British drummers whose work underpinned the British Invasion and subsequent rock movements. He is recognized by peers and historians who document the era alongside figures tied to Beatles-era developments, the Mod scene, and the evolution of studio recording practices in the UK. Tributes and retrospectives situate his contributions within lineages that include drummers from The Who, The Rolling Stones, and contemporaries in Argent and The Kinks; his influence appears in histories of 1960s and 1970s British popular music.

Category:1944 births Category:English drummers Category:People from Abingdon-on-Thames