In the 1930s, Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952) helped define the swing era sound with his own band's performances and big band arrangements he wrote for Benny Goodman. Born in Georgia, James Fletcher Henderson was the son of two educators. Growing up, his mother taught him to play the piano. Henderson did not intend to pursue a career in music, opting instead to study chemistry and math at Atlanta University. His career aspirations were limited by racism in 1920s New York, and Henderson found work demonstrating songs for a music publishing company. In 1921, he moved to Black Swan records, where he served as a session pianist.

With the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, Henderson became the leader of his own band. In 1924, the orchestra landed a regular gig at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, where they stayed for ten years. That same year, Henderson hired Louis Armstrong to join the group. After musical director Don Redman departed in 1927, Henderson soon stepped into arranging duty. He proved to be gifted in this area, creating pieces that would usher in swing music's reign of popularity. Despite the band's high profile members, Henderson's business struggled, and he ended up selling some of his arrangements to Benny Goodman, who was starting his own band. Henderson was then forced to see the white bandleader reach a stratospheric level of success—using Henderson's arrangements of songs like "King Porter Stomp," "Sometimes I'm Happy" and "Wrappin' It Up"—that had eluded him. Though Goodman was up front about Henderson's contributions to his band, it was still a bitter pill for Henderson to swallow. In 1939, he became a staff arranger for Goodman.

In the 1940s, Henderson tried his hand at bandleading once more, though he maintained an association with Goodman, while also sending arrangements to other bands. Henderson retired after having a stroke in 1950, and died in New York City on December 29, 1952, at the age of 55.