Lyle Russell "Skitch" Henderson, born on January 27, 1918, in Halstad, Minnesota, was an American pianist, conductor, and composer who began playing at age four. His career took off accompanying Judy Garland on a 1937 MGM promotional tour. In the 1940s, he worked extensively in radio and formed his own orchestra in 1946, signing with Capitol Records. Henderson's television career included conducting orchestras for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Notable recordings include a Grammy-winning Porgy and Bess with Leontyne Price and William Warfield in 1963. He founded The New York Pops orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1983 and served as its music director until his death on November 1, 2005. He received the Handel Medallion from New York City in 1997 and the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution in 2005.
