Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Henry.
Michael, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a world-renowned model, actor, and songwriter, I have always poured my energy into helping others dreams come true. I now get to share with the world a deep-rooted passion of mine through my own lenses.
For as long as I can remember, music and fashion have been a part of my DNA. Growing up, getting “fresh” or “fly” was and still is a part of African American Culture. When getting dressed, I like to build my outfits from the ground up because I believe that sneakers are the molecules that pull everything together. Fast forward, in 2006, I officially began my modeling career with a publication in Basic Magazine, thanks to Samuel Charles Bowie and Bowie Management. Had Sam not been so persistent, this all may have never happened. I turned him down at least three times when he approached me with the opportunity to model. I was playing college football the first couple of times Sam approached me, and that was my priority. The last time he approached me about modeling, I told him to check with me at the end of the football season. That same year, some students on campus were having a fashion show I auditioned for but, wasn’t originally selected to participate. I continued to show up to rehearsals and eventually, talked my way into the show. The night of the show, Sam was in the audience and, after the show, he made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. He said, “If you model for me, I’ll put you in a magazine.” I said, “put me in a magazine and I’ll model for you.” That was the beginning of our friendship.
Eventually, I withdrew from college, took a $700 refund check, bought a oneway ticket to LA, where I connected with a well-known runway/fashion show producer, Michael Maddox. Michael had the power to walk me into every agency in the city with no appointment. The first place he took me to was LA Models, where I met with Crista Klayman. Meeting with Crista was the best thing that could happen to me. She didn’t sign me. She said I lacked personality during my interview and that BJ Williams was already on their roster and he had tons of it (personality that is). She also advised me that, if I wanted to make it in the LA market that I need to turn on the charm and since that day, I haven’t turn it off. Michael must’ve taken me to at least ten agencies after that and I left them all salivating, but the agency that I fell in love with was NTA Models. They still rep me.
I am where I am today because I made a decision to work harder for myself than for anyone else. Everything that I have experienced along the way has lead me to this point. My struggles have built character and humility. I no longer focus my energy on making my “haters” mad but focus my energy on make my supporters proud.
Has it been a smooth road?
I wish that I could say my road has been smooth, but I have had several things that have happened along the way that made me want to quit and walk away. One of the most challenging struggles happened just over a year into my modeling career. My mentor and agent, Samuel Charles Bowie, was brutally murdered. It hit me like a power punch from Mike Tyson. I was still in college at the time when I received a phone call from Willie Johnson III, a mutual friend of Sam and I, telling me that Sam was killed. Initially, I was like this can’t be true. I just talked to Sam yesterday. One day, while on campus, reality set in that I’d never see Sam again and the tears just started pouring down my face like a rainstorm. I must’ve cried for an hour. I don’t think I’d ever cried that hard in my life. Thankfully, my good friend, Frankie Williams, was there to help pick me up off the floor in my time of need. I came home to Houston for a week or so to continue to process my loss when I met Ally with the Neal Hamil Agency. It was a match made in heaven. They still rep me to this day.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am my business, and my business is me, Hendricks 2.0. I specialize in Music, Modeling, Mentoring, and Fashion. For over ten years, I’ve been known for putting quality over quantity, which is what I am most proud of and what I believe sets me apart from others. On June 6, 2019, I released my first music single “Take A Picture” with a pair of Limited Edition Sneakers. I am the first to do this! Please visit my website for purchase.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I wouldn’t have left Los Angeles. However, I believe in the timing of everything. Now is the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hendricks20.com/
- Phone: (281) 372-9071
- Email: bookhendricks2.0@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hendricks2.0/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hendricks2.0Music/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hendricks2O
- Other: https://ffm.to/hendricks
Image Credit:
Steven D. Hill
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