Henry Thaxton Slaughter (born January 9, 1927) is an American southern gospel singer and piano player.
Five-time Dove Award-winning keyboardist, singer and songwriter has captivated countless audiences since the 1940s with such memorable groups as the Stamps-Ozark Quartet, The Weatherford Quartet, The Imperials, and since the 1970s as Henry and Hazel Slaughter, including numerous appearances with Bill Gaither, the Gaither Praise Gatherings, and the Gaither Homecoming series.[1]
His story, chronicled in his 1980 autobiography, In Search of the Pearl of Great Price, is more than international recognition, awards and showmanship. It is the personal account of Henry's down-home "roots," his tragedies, his returning to "zero" again and again. Most of all, it is a story of music born both in the depths of despair and the mountaintops.[1]
Along the way, he wrote numerous songs that are considered Gospel classics, including "What a Precious Friend is He," “Lonely Mile”, “If The Lord Wasn’t Walking By My Side”, and “I’ve Never Loved Him Better Than Today.”[2]
Today, he and Hazel live in Tennessee. He continues to write his internationally acclaimed "I Remember" column featuring precious memories of the people and places during the past seven decades on the road as one of Gospel music's premier keyboard artists.[1]
In 2006, he was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame.[3]