Brian Henningsen..."We always say it when we write: we’re trying to make a little movie play in your mind.”

She puts her boots and bandanna on
She has a hankering for Rolling Stones
She likes her vegetables home grown
A lot like the boy waiting out in the truck

I was listening to The Henningsens and their song 'American Beautiful' on the way to work today.  We've played the song for quite a while now, but I don't know if we've ever explained 'who they are,' or 'where they're from.'

They are literally a farm family from Illinois (Atwood) that makes music.

Brian Henningsen is the older guy.  He's the dad.  Literally. (bass, guitar, vocals) He's the father of 10.  His eldest song,  Aaron (guitar, vocals) and daughter Clara (lead vocals, guitar)

Brian Brian played in area bands off and on throughout the 1980s and began songwriting in the early 1990s. Brian met with music publishers in Nashville in the mid-1990s, but he put his career on hold to take over the family farm when his father was unable to.  This is kind of a cool story isn't it?

But wait there's more.  They not only write their own music, they also wrote The Band Perry's singles You Lie and All Your Life.

American Beautiful continues to climb the charts. Now I'm kind of anxious to see if we can get them through the area to perform sometime.  The Henningsens.  Kind of a neat 'country story.'

 

 

 

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