Jazztronica pioneer Jeffrey Henry, aka DJ Chicken George, has died at the age of 50
Jeffrey Henry, the Austin-based jazztronica pioneer better known as DJ Chicken George, died over the weekend after a two-year battle with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of skin cancer.
Henry's group, hip-hop project Third Root, announced his death on Instagram on Monday. According to the group, he died on Friday, May 10 - "just 1 day before he was supposed to see his daughter Brooklyn graduate from TSU".
"Words cannot describe how much we will miss him", Third Root said in a message. "We ask for prayers for healing during this time. If anyone would like to help the family with last minute expenses or pay for a graduation party in Brooklyn's memory, we would greatly appreciate your support".
As a DJ, producer and music curator, Chiken George has championed all aspects of black music. On his latest album, 2020's " Passion of the Poets " Third Root enlisted artists such as Black Pumas and Grupo Fantasma - featuring Charles Peters and Marco Cervantes utilizing Henry's funky, electronic beats. At the same time, his Austin Boogie Crew label self-describes his lineup as the "soulful, synthesizer-driven, club sounds" of modern funk.
In March 2022, Henry announced his cancer diagnosis. At the time, the artist said the disease had been misdiagnosed for so long that it had already reached Stage IV.
"Everything is heavy at the moment. I can't comfortably lift more than 15-20 pounds, so unfortunately forget about lifting a turntable or crate of records", Henry wrote in a message. Shortly after, the DJ's Austin Boogie Crew partner Danny Spence launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for Henry while he's not DJing gigs. To date, donations have totaled $88,045.
The community has supported Henry throughout his battle with cancer. In August 2023, Riders Against the Storm, Blackillac, Third Root and Adrian Quesada performed at the Empire Garage benefit in honor of Chicken George, who, according to the Chronicle, "helped define Austin's funk and rap scenes with deep grooves and a thick sound".
Austin-based concert organizers Resound Presents honored DJ Chiken George on Instagram following the news of his death. "His skills as a DJ, music curator, producer, self-marketing genius and party legend will easily go down in Austin history for decades to come", the agency wrote.
The authors continue, "While all of this is easy to understand, the truly monumental thing about Jeff was himself: his personality, his smile, his immense and genuine kindness, the openness with which he treated everyone he met in society, and how can one forget the scent of coconut that remained in the air after a quick hello or hug".
"The term 'legend' is often used locally as a description of heritage, but in Jeffrey's case it really is".