In a full length concert, Jim plays approximately 55,000 notes.
Though most of Jim’s concerts have been in the United States, he has also toured extensively in Hungary and performed many concerts in Italy, Japan, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Canada, and Cozumel.
Jim is an avid golfer. A severe car accident in 1997 hampered his swing, however (but fortunately not his piano playing!). Jim still frequently plays with his father who continues to beat him, sometimes severely, almost every round. His dad held the course record at Emerald Hills Golf Club for several years starting in 1956.
Hendricks is also a seasoned actor. He appeared in three episodes of the hit TV series ER, the motion picture Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore (though he was not credited for his small role in the movie), several indie films, and 30 stage dramas including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
After breaking his left arm in an accident, Jim was determined to not cancel any concerts. He recorded the left hand parts of some of the pieces with his right hand, and then performed the concerts playing with only his right hand along with the recording of the left hand parts.
Jim’s family has been blessed with longevity. His great grandfather died at 100, and Jim’s father had a cousin who lived to be 108, two more cousins who lived to be 104 and 100, and another cousin who died young at age 93 – he fell off a ladder while working on the roof of his house. Jim’s grandmother died at the age of 95, and her hair was still mostly jet black when she passed.
Since the inception of this music ministry in 1994, the Lord has granted Jim incredible travel mercies. Jim has made it to every scheduled concert location, even in the most severe weather.
Hendricks has performed special events for Bears legend Mike Ditka, the 1994 Chicago Cubs team, and in 1993 for the White House Press Secretary.
Jim does his own musical arranging for all his concert pieces, having completed more than 150 piano arrangements of hymns and other popular Christian tunes. Hendricks has also done numerous arrangements of the classic music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irvin Berlin, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, and has a wide array of classical repertoire including Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Liszt, Schubert, Schumann, and others.
Jim’s favorite pianists include Van Cliburn, Vladimir Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Arthur Rubenstein, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Bill Evans, and Dave Brubeck. Other favorites are former Bill Gaither pianist Anthony Burger, Dino, and other Gospel piano greats.
Over the past 20 years, Jim has performed several Christian piano concerts using the same piano that he took his first piano lessons on as a child. The piano was donated to the church by the piano teacher when she passed.
It is very hard to find your glasses when you’re not wearing them.
This is Jimi Hendrix the rock guitarist
This is the folk/country musician Jim Hendricks
This is retired accounting professor Dr. Jim Hendricks, Jim’s dad
