In an age when authentic folk-rock singer-writers come out of the Metropolitan Americana roots music scene, Henry Zhao’s story is as ironic as it is surprising. He was raised in the shadow of Los Angeles in Arcadia, most known for its famous horse racing track and as a freeway-drive-by town between L.A. and San Bernardino.  Growing up its Asian majority population gave Henry a good taste of Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop-rock, but little familiarity with the American roots music he’s come to embrace as an artist.

This writer first came to learn of Henry Zhao on his 2019 eponymous release produced by veteran producer and legendary Bassman, Chad Watson. The songs were influenced by the early folk twang of Bob Dylan but forged a clear original distinction that was engaging and entertaining. His debut album allowed Henry to move from a masterful imitator of Dylan to an original artist in his own right with a limitless future ahead of him.

The album led to appearances at Kulak’s Woodshed in North Hollywood and Bob Stane’s Coffee Gallery Backstage. It was there on an Autumn evening where one of the great living troubadour singer songwriters, Eric Andersen, invited him on stage for a guest appearance at his show.  Bob Dylan’s violinist, Scarlet Rivera, who made her reputation on Dylan’s classic album, Desire, was In Andersen’s band that night.  She was so impressed with Zhao’s set he took him aside and told him, “You did Bob Dylan proud!” 

Henry Zhao’s new EP, Instant Multiversal Emergency Eradication, released on his birthday, July 27th, came about quickly like a high-speed race against time. It could have easily been the basis of a Film Noir from a 1940s film.  The EP is a four-song collection of original punchy, catchy folk-rock songs that call to mind what a musical meeting of Buddy Holly & Bob Dylan might have been like.  Three of the songs clock in at under two minutes. The fourth song is a chorus pub-friendly singalong, “Lay Me Down.” It delivers a modern folk vibe with a beautiful violin/fiddle solo and the engaging and warm undertow of a well-played mandolin.  This song is the centerpiece of this collection. It is well framed by the punk energy laced teen-idol era inspired song, “Christina” and the power-pop-rock drive of early Green Day, Billy Bragg and early Elvis Costello.   

But, these. songs came with a great cost for Henry.

The EP was accomplished while Henry raced against the possibility of unwanted symptoms of an illness that has challenged this vital artist. In recent years Zhao was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder. It became evident through a cluster of symptoms that his team of doctors and medical professionals have called “one of the worst brain disorders recorded by advanced brain imaging ever.”  There is no official diagnostic label, but this disorder has shown symptoms similar to Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Somatoform Disorder and Chronic Pain Syndrome. It preys on Zhao’s neurology in unpredictable and often frustrating ways. 

Henry’s debilitation has left him in a chronic medical emergency, despite improvement from past experimental treatment, he suffers chronic muscular loss of autonomy and severe anxiety and the constant threat of an extreme unbearable episode of what he calls “infinite, nameless torture.” He continues to fight but the prognosis is unclear. 

The dilemma for Henry Zhao as an artist is his symptoms are often triggered by his acts of creativity.  When he writes, plays guitar, performs or records original songs, his symptoms may sneak up on him and end the work he has done so well in the past.

Henry’s obsessiveness, prior to his debilitation from his condition, was evident from his youth. When he began writing songs, the disorder wouldn’t let any lyric ever feel right, so he would spend countless hours writing lyrics but never able to feel satisfied, instead of failing with exhaustion. The songwriting itself was a driving unending compulsion.

According to Henry, “There is a relationship with songwriting as part compulsion and part of my passion. Like Van Gogh creating a new painting every 36 hours, I was writing three songs a day because my muscles felt hollow and at the same time, I felt like I was going to explode. I had no other outlet.” 

The evening of July 27th, 2025 Jeweled Universe in Arcadia, a musical venue and jewelry shop, for local Americana-roots artists, hosted a rare public display of Henry’s rebellious nature. It also was an act of courage to perform the songs for this combination birthday celebration, fund raiser and release party for the new EP under these circumstances.  With critical and compassionate studio and live support from his friends, The Licata Brothers (Tony and Jimmy) the show became a reality with a capacity audience of fans, friends and family.

Henry says, “This was potentially my final performance, pushing through my cognitive and physical symptoms one final time.”  He began with a brief solo set of the solo original songs that gained him recognition and then transitioned into a full band tribute to some classic American and Cantonese rock songs. After bringing along surprise guests Yundi Tian of Nice Machine and Joanna Connie Tan, who performed Taiwan and American classics respectively, the show ended with the performance of the four EP songs. An encore of the rock n roll classic, “Twist and Shout” where Henry gives it his best in the spirit of John Lennon, was performed to a standing ovation.  Many in the audience called the show Henry Zhao’s best live performance.

 For Henry, music is not a cure.  Nonetheless, time and time again, we see the alchemy of suffering transformed from reality into art, including music. It stands the test of space & time.  Although music may not save the world, Henry Zhao’s story is an example of an attempt to fight suffering and either win a few skirmishes or die trying. It’s fair to say, for an artist with one of the worst brain disorders in recorded history, the release of a great EP Instant Multiversal Emergency Eradication, and his live performance is unqualified victory. 

This article is to be published in its entirety in TJ the Magazine (formerly Turnstyled Junkpiled),  August 8th).