Douglas Henderson

Douglas "Jocko" Henderson was an American radio disc jockey, businessman, and hip hop music pioneer. He referred to himself as the “Ace From Outer Space”. “Not the imitator, not the duplicator, but the Originator!”

Henderson grew up in Baltimore, where both of his parents were teachers. Henderson began his broadcast career in 1952 at Baltimore station WSID, and in 1953 began broadcasting in Philadelphia on WHAT. He hosted a show called Jocko's Rocket Ship Show out of New York radio stations WOV and WADO and Philadelphia stations WHAT and WDAS from 1954 to 1964, which was an early conduit for rock & roll.

At a time when many black rhythm-and-blues disc jockeys were urged by their station owners to rant and rave, Henderson was known for a distinctive style of rhythmic patter and finger-snapping rhymes following the model of deejay Maurice “Hot Rod” Hulbert, who had done a stint in Henderson’s hometown of Baltimore, MD.

Henderson continued on the stations WDAS and WHAT until 1974, deejaying in Philadelphia and New York as well as hosting concerts in both cities and a TV music program in New York. In addition to Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore, Henderson also broadcasted on stations in St. Louis, Detroit, Miami, and Boston.

Wand, a subsidiary of Scepter Records, created greatest hits collections for Henderson called Jocko's Show Stoppers and Jocko's Rocket to the Stars. Scepter also gave him publishing rights to songs such as "Baby It's You" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", which he eventually sold to avoid suffering the same fate as Freed.

WOV 1280 NY 1957

In 1978, Henderson made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district. He also made some early rap records, recording 12" singles for Philadelphia International and Sugar Hill Records. He continued deejaying on oldies stations into the 1990s. He died in 2000 after a long battle with cancer and diabetes.

Jocko Henderson on the air during his prime. [ LISTEN ].

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Henderson into their Hall of Fame in 2004.