Herbert Lester Henson[1] (May 17, 1925 – November 26, 1963), known as Cousin Herb, was an American country music performer and television host on KERO-TV, channel 10 (now 23) in Bakersfield, California.
Bandleader Bill Woods convinced Henson to relocate to Bakersfield in 1946, where he worked at local radio station KERO and occasionally performed at area honky tonks such as the now-legendary Clover Club and the Blackboard.
Originally co-starring Woods, Billy Mize, and members of the Clover Club house band (including Buck Owens' estranged wife Bonnie), the program's cast would later boast such ace musicians as Roy Nichols, and Dallas Frazier, and its guest stars included Gene Autry, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Merle Travis, and Lefty Frizzell.
During the program's run, Henson recorded for labels including Tally, Shasta, and Decca, producing his strongest material for Capitol, most notably a 1953 reading of Arlie Duff's "Y'All Come" that became his theme song.
On September 12, 1963, some two dozen country stars (among them Tommy Collins and Roy Clark) descended upon the Bakersfield Civic Center to celebrate The Trading Post′s tenth anniversary; just two months later, on November 26, Henson suffered another massive heart attack, dying at the age of 38.