Who is Henry Upshaw from Pimp: The Story of My Life and what is their importance?

The first and only really stable and positive father figure in Slim's life, Upshaw is the owner of the only cleaning and pressing store in Rockford, Illinois. He provides both Slim and his mother with all of the money and luxuries they could want. Slim will also work with his stepfather in the store shining shoes. Slim remembers his last happy day in life for another thirty-five years as being a day when he worked with his stepfather and got a dime tip for shining a banker's shoes. Shortly after this, Mama leaves Henry Upshaw to run away with Steve, depriving Slim of the best influence in his life. Henry is also crushed by the separation and dies a year later.