Wynonie Harris

Biography

Wynonie Harris, born on August 24, 1915, in Omaha, Nebraska, to an unwed 15-year-old African American mother, Mallie Hood Anderson, and a Native American father possibly named Blue Jay, grew up without a father figure until his mother married Luther Harris in 1920. Dropping out of high school at 16 in 1931, he fathered two children out of wedlock before marrying Olive 'Ollie' Goodlow in 1936, with whom he had daughter Pattie; the family lived in North Omaha's Logan Fontenelle projects until moving to Los Angeles in 1940, leaving Pattie with her grandmother. Harris began as a dancer, forming a team with Velda Shannon in the early 1930s, performing at venues like the Ritz Theatre and Jim Bell's Harlem Club, where he transitioned to singing blues influenced by Kansas City shouters Jimmy Rushing and Big Joe Turner.[1][2][3][4]

Harris's career surged in the 1940s after relocating to L.A., where he emceed and sang on Central Avenue before Lucky Millinder hired him in 1944 for his orchestra, leading to his recording debut with Decca on 'Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well' and 'Hurry, Hurry.' Going solo in 1945 with Philo (later Aladdin), backed by Johnny Otis, he scored hits like 'Around the Clock,' 'Wynonie's Blues' with Illinois Jacquet, and 'Playful,' amassing fifteen Top 10 R&B hits by 1952 with his boisterous blues-shouting style, humorous and often ribald lyrics, blending boogie-woogie, swing, and proto-rock elements.[2][3][4][5]

Nicknamed 'Mr. Blues,' Harris is hailed as a rock and roll pioneer, influencing figures like Elvis Presley, though his chart success waned post-1952 amid personal excesses; he died on June 14, 1969. His legacy endures through Blues Hall of Fame induction (1994), Nebraska Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), and Central High School Hall of Fame (2000).[2][3][4]

Fun Facts

• Harris had blue-green eyes and light skin, becoming a premiere performer in elite Black clubs despite his mixed heritage.
• His son Wesley followed in his footsteps as a singer with the Five Echoes and The Sultans before joining Preston Love's band as singer-guitarist.
• A 1994 biography by Tony Collins details his life as a blues shouter with ribald lyrics.
• He earned a living as an entertainer in Omaha during the Great Depression's depths by 1935.

Associated Acts

• Wynonie Harris All Stars - eponymous, original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Jimmy Rushing - stylistic influence as big-voiced blues shouter (Kansas City blues style) [1930s]
• Big Joe Turner - stylistic influence as big-voiced blues shouter (Kansas City blues style) [1930s]

Key Collaborators

• Lucky Millinder - bandleader who hired him as singer for orchestra ('Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well,' 'Hurry, Hurry') [1944]
• Johnny Otis - assembled band for solo recordings ('Around the Clock' (Philo/Aladdin)) [1945]
• Illinois Jacquet - saxophonist on recordings ('Wynonie's Blues') [1946]
• Velda Shannon - dance partner early in career (dance team performances at Ritz Theatre) [early 1930s]
• Preston Love - childhood friend who joined Millinder band and later employed Harris's son (Millinder's orchestra residency at Savoy Ballroom) [1944]

Artists Influenced

• Elvis Presley - one of rock and roll's forerunners influencing Presley (general style and upbeat R&B) [1940s-1950s]
• Wesley Harris - son who became singer and guitarist inspired by father's career (Five Echoes, The Sultans, Preston Love's band) [1950s+]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #jump-blues, #r&b, #rock-and-roll