Skitch Henderson Autographs
Lyle Russel "Skitch" Henderson (January 27, 1918 – November 1, 2005) was an American pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname "Skitch" came from his ability to "re-sketch" a song in a different key. Bing Crosby suggested that he should use the name professionally.
As his career developed, Henderson often claimed to have been born in Birmingham, England, also adding "Cedric" to his name. However, he was born in the town of Halstad in northwest Minnesota in 1918, to Joseph and Josephine (Scheie) Henderson, both of Norwegian descent. After his mother died when he was two in 1920, he was raised in Halstad by his aunt Hattie Henderson Gift and uncle Frank Gift. His aunt taught him piano, starting at the age of four. Although he did not receive formal conservatory education in music, Henderson received classical training under Fritz Reiner, Albert Coates, Arnold Schoenberg, Ernst Toch and Arturo Toscanini, who invited him to conduct the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Henderson would later recount apprenticeships in pop music while playing in taverns with notable singers of the era.
After starting his professional career in the 1930s playing piano in the roadhouses of the American Midwest, Henderson's major break came when he was an accompanist on a 1937 MGM promotional tour featuring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Henderson later said that as a member of MGM's music department, he worked with Garland to learn "Over the Rainbow" during rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz and played piano for her first public performance of the song at a local nightclub before the film was finished. However this account is at odds with the memoirs of the tune's composer, Harold Arlen, who said he first performed the song for the 17-year-old Garland.
Read more about Skitch Henderson on Wikipedia
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Current items with a signature of Skitch Henderson
These are the most current items with a signature of Skitch Henderson that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | 1950s Jim Bannon Red Ryder & Skitch Henderson Autograph Cuts From Autograph Book | $14.00 |  |
| 1950s Jim Bannon Red Ryder & Skitch Henderson Autograph Cuts From Autograph Book | $14.00 | |
Traded items with a signature of Skitch Henderson
The most expensive item with a signature of Skitch Henderson (Ruth & Skitch Henderson Christmas in the Country Signed 1st Edition Book & CD) was sold in January 2026 for $150.00 while the cheapest item (Skitch Henderson Typed Letter Signed 1950 With Envelope) found a new owner for $0.99 in July 2020. The month with the most items sold (4) was May 2026 with an average selling price of $30.00 for an autographed item of Skitch Henderson. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in January 2026 with $75.00 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $2.50 was July 2009. In average, an autographed item from Skitch Henderson is worth $36.00.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Skitch Henderson were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
