John Carl Hendricks, professionally known as Jon Hendricks, was an influential American jazz lyricist and singer, born on September 16, 1921, in Newark, Ohio. He is celebrated as a pioneer of vocalese, a style that involves adding lyrics to existing instrumental jazz pieces and replacing instruments with vocal parts. Known for his scat singing prowess, Hendricks was praised by jazz critic Leonard Feather as the "Poet Laureate of Jazz" and by Time magazine as the "James Joyce of Jive." Al Jarreau regarded him as "pound-for-pound the best jazz singer on the planet."

Hendricks grew up in a large family with 14 siblings, moving frequently due to his father's role as an A.M.E. pastor, before settling in Toledo, Ohio. He began his singing career at the age of seven and was a local celebrity by ten. He was influenced by and performed with pianist Art Tatum, a fellow Toledo native.

During World War II, Hendricks served in the U.S. Army, participating in the D-Day landings. After the war, he attended the University of Toledo on the G.I. Bill, majoring in pre-law, until his benefits expired. Encouraged by Charlie Parker, Hendricks moved to New York to pursue a singing career.

In 1957, Hendricks formed the renowned vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross. The group was instrumental in popularizing vocalese and was named the "Number One Vocal Group in the World" by Melody Maker magazine for five consecutive years. The trio's work, including the album "Sing a Song of Basie," remains influential, inspiring artists like The Manhattan Transfer and Bobby McFerrin. Hendricks' lyrics to songs like "I Remember Clifford" have been covered by numerous artists.

After the trio disbanded in 1962, Hendricks continued to innovate, collaborating with various artists and contributing to the jazz genre until his death on November 22, 2017, in New York City.