Hal Harris
"Fuzzy" Hal Harris (born September 27, 1920 near Pike , Alabama as Harold F. Harris , † January 11, 1992 in Jackson , Mississippi ) was an American rockabilly musician and guitarist . Harris played on many different rockabilly recordings on Starday Records between 1956 and 1958 and is therefore one of the most famous rockabilly guitarists.
Life
Childhood and youth
Hal Harris grew up in Alabama. As a teenager he played in a string band with his two brothers Roy and Clyde , where he gained his first musical experience. In the early 1940s he joined "Pappy" Neal McCormick's Florida band and moved to Los Angeles shortly after the end of World War II .
Career
In 1946 Harris made his first LP recording for Columbia Records in LA as a member of Curley Williams' Peach Pickers , but moved back to Alabama shortly thereafter. In the early 1950s, Harris lived in Jackson , Mississippi , and worked as a disc jockey across the state . In 1951 he played his first own single Poor Boy Rag for Webb Pierce's Pacemaker label . After moving to Houston , Texas , Harris started working for KRCT, where he was nicknamed "Fuzzy". At the same time, Pappy founded Daily Starday Records . In the next few years, due to a lack of musicians, Harris developed into one of the most sought-after session musicians for the label and led the label's house band, which also consisted of Link Davis ( fiddle and saxophone ) Doc Lewis ( piano ) and Herb Remington ( steel guitar ) . Harris' unmistakable guitar playing, which he enriched with blues and jazz and thus created a chaotic atmosphere, could be heard on many recordings: Joe Clay , George and Earl , Link Davis, Jimmy and Johnny , Glenn Barber , Sleepy LaBeef , George "Thumper" Jones , Leon Payne , Benny Barnes , Ray Campi and JP Richardson are some of the artists.
In 1957, at the end of a George Jones session, Harris got the opportunity to record two pieces for Starday himself, Jitterbop Baby and I Don't Know When . However, both rockabilly titles were not released by Starday. Until the early 1960s, Harris continued to function as a session musician for Starday and its sublabel Dixie Records and D Records , made two records himself and managed Sleepy LaBeef for a short time.
In the 1960s, however, the Houston music scene turned to the disadvantage of Harris, the Gold Star Studio where Harris had worked was sold and his radio station switched to pop. Harris moved back to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963, remarried and worked as a gospel DJ. In the 1970s, three gospel albums were released under his name.
Hal Harris died in 1992 at the age of 71.
Discography
| year | title | Record company | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | I've Loved, I've Laughed, I've Cried / Poor Boy Rag | Pacemaker HB 1013 | |||
| 195? | Boy Crazy Jane /? | Rainbow | |||
| Unpublished titles | |||||
| 1957 |
|
Starday | |||
Web links
References and comments
- ↑ Some sources claim that both pieces were released by Starday on a 45 RPM record, but no copies are known to date.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Harris, Hal |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Harris, Harrold F. (real name); Fuzzy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 27, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | at Pike , Alabama |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 11, 1992 |
| Place of death | Jackson , Mississippi |