John Henry was born at Auchterarder, Scotland about 1879 to parents James and Isabella nee Taylor. He was the oldest child, with ten younger siblings who were all born in Scotland. He was living in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1901 and it was here that he began his band career by playing the trombone with the Camelon Old Band. He was associated with several other bands during this period and played under such conductors and composers as William Rimmer and James Ord Hume. Henry participated in several musical contests during this period and won a number as a soloist.

In 1906, Henry went to New Zealand where he again joined the band movement and won the trombone championships twice in the three competitions that he entered. It is not known when the Henry family, both his parents and siblings, arrived in Australia. However, it is known that Henry became a member of the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band before joining the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).

Henry was 38 years old when he enlisted in the AIF with his younger brother, Thomas Taylor, on 27 January 1917. He was married to Helen , at the time, and had been living in Ispwich, working as a moulder to create castings from molten metal. Both brothers embarked with the 13th reinforcements of the 3rd Machine Gun Company at Melbourne on 21 June 1917, aboard HMAT Suevic. Their two younger brothers, James Buchanan and Andrew Dow, had previously enlisted with the 15th Battalion on 13 May 1916.

John and Thomas disembarked at Liverpool, England, on 26 August 1917 and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington . At the time of embarkation, John had been promoted to Lance Corporal and prior to arrival in England, was promoted again to VO Sergeant on 19 August 1917, when Vice Sergeant Hawley was reported missing. While Thomas proceeded overseas to join the 41st Battalion in December 1917, John remained in England until 31 March 1918. He was to join his younger brothers in the 15th Battalion.

Henry marched into the Medical Board Base on 1 April 1918 and was taken on strength by the 15th Battalion on 17 April 1918. This was eleven days before his brother Andrew was transferred to 4th Division Headquarters. Henry became the conductor of the 15th Battalion Band and was later described as “deservedly popular” during this time. His brother James was also a member of the 15th Battalion Band. Henry was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 16 March 1919 , which was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 30 October 1919.

Henry proceeded to the UK on leave from France on 24 January 1919 to 11 February 1919. He rejoined his battalion in France on 15 February 1919. Henry mobilised to return to Australia on 6 April 1919. He left Le Havre, France, on 15 April 1919 and departed from Devonport, England, on 2 June 1919, aboard HMAT Beltana. During the return trip to Australia he was hospitalised on 11 July but reached Ipswich with two contingents of other returned servicemen on 21 July 1919.

The contingents, about 400 men in all, travelled separately on special trains. Henry was in the second of these contingents, which was welcomed home by Alderman P.W. Cameron. A fellow returning member of the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band, W. McVickers, was on the same train.

During the war, Henry had continued to supply the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band with what was described by Mr J. Bearkley, President of the City Vice-Regal Band Association, as “very valuable music” and that he “doubted whether the band could have secured any of the pieces” otherwise during a welcome home presentation on 2 March 1920. It was estimated that the total amount of the music that he provided to the band was worth £30.

Henry worked as foreman moulder and foundry foreman at the Ipswich Railway Workshops for over 30 years. He continued his interest in band work, becoming bandmaster of the Ipswich City Vice-Regal Band in 1920. At the time of his appointment, the Queensland Times reported that “the future of the City Band will be in capable hands.”Henry later took up the same position with the Railway Band and held this position at the time of his nomination for the 1930 Ipswich Council election.

In 1949, The Queensland Times reported on the Ipswich Eisteddford, where Henry was the adjudicator, and noted that Henry had been “highly successful” as an amateur conductor. He conducted bands at several competitions and was successful under adjudicators such as Mr H Shugg, conductor of the Malvern Tramway Band, and Mr Percy Code, composer and conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Henry judged many musical competitions throughout Queensland; he also played or conducted bands in Sydney, Ballarat, Maitland, Mackay, Townsville, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Brisbane and Toowoomba.

Henry retired from the Ipswich Railway Workshops around 1949 and continued to maintain his interest in community band activities. At this time, John Henry and his wife Helen were living in the Redcliffe area of Brisbane, Queensland, where they were still residing in 1963.