Wonga Phillip "Phil" Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American comedian, jazz musician, and singer. He found much success as an orchestra leader, and was a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with Jack Benny, and then in a series in which he co-starred with his wife, singer-actress Alice Faye, for eight years. Harris is also noted for his voice performances in animated films. He played Baloo the bear in The Jungle Book (1967). Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats (1970), and Little John in Robin Hood (1973). In 1981, he sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" before the Indianapolis 500.
Phil Harris was born on June 24, 1904, in Linton, Indiana as "Wonga Phillip Harris", but grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and identified himself as a Southerner (his hallmark song was "That's What I Like About the South"). He was born to Harry and Dollie Harris. His mother was of Irish descent. His upbringing accounted for both his trace of a Southern accent and, in later years, the self-deprecating Southern jokes of his radio character. The son of two circus performers, Harris's first work as a drummer came when his father, as tent bandleader, hired him to play with the circus band.Harris began his music career as a drummer in San Francisco, forming an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the latter 1920s and starting a long engagement at the St. Francis Hotel. The partnership ended by 1932, and Harris led and sang with his own band, now based in Los Angeles. Harris also played drums in the Henry Halstead Big Band Orchestra during the mid-1920s.
In 1931, Lofner-Harris recorded for Victor. After Harris recorded for Columbia in 1933, he recorded for Decca in 1935. From December 1936, through March 1937, he recorded 16 sides for Vocalion. Most were hot swing tunes that used an interesting gimmick; they faded up and faded out with a piano solo. These were probably arranged by pianist Skippy Anderson.
On September 2, 1927, he married actress Marcia Ralston in Sydney, Australia; they had met when he played a concert date.The couple adopted a son, Phil Harris, Jr. (b. 1935). They divorced in September 1940.
Harris in The High and the Mighty
In 1933, he made a short film for RKO called So This Is Harris!, which won an Academy Award for best live action short subject. He followed with a feature-length film, Melody Cruise. Both films were created by the same team that next produced Flying Down to Rio, which started the successful careers of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Phil also starred in "I Love a Bandleader" with Leslie Brooks in 1945. Here he played a housepainter who gets amnesia, then starts to lead a band. His nickname was 'Old Curly'. Additionally, he appeared in Thunder Across the Pacific (1951), alongside Forrest Tucker and Walter Brennan, during the same year, he made a cameo appearance in the Warner Bros. musical, Starlift, with Janice Rule and Dick Wesson, and was featured in The High and the Mighty with John Wayne in 1954.Phil also appeared in the 1956 film Goodbye, My Lady, co-starring with Walter Brennan.
Wonga Phillip "Phil" Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American comedian, jazz musician, and singer. He found much success as an orchestra leader, and was a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with Jack Benny, and then in a series in which he co-starred with his wife, singer-actress Alice Faye, for eight years. Harris is also noted for his voice performances in animated films. He played Baloo the bear in The Jungle Book (1967). Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats (1970), and Little John in Robin Hood (1973). In 1981, he sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" before the Indianapolis 500.
Phil Harris was born on June 24, 1904, in Linton, Indiana as "Wonga Phillip Harris", but grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and identified himself as a Southerner (his hallmark song was "That's What I Like About the South"). He was born to Harry and Dollie Harris. His mother was of Irish descent. His upbringing accounted for both his trace of a Southern accent and, in later years, the self-deprecating Southern jokes of his radio character. The son of two circus performers, Harris's first work as a drummer came when his father, as tent bandleader, hired him to play with the circus band.Harris began his music career as a drummer in San Francisco, forming an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the latter 1920s and starting a long engagement at the St. Francis Hotel. The partnership ended by 1932, and Harris led and sang with his own band, now based in Los Angeles. Harris also played drums in the Henry Halstead Big Band Orchestra during the mid-1920s.
In 1931, Lofner-Harris recorded for Victor. After Harris recorded for Columbia in 1933, he recorded for Decca in 1935. From December 1936, through March 1937, he recorded 16 sides for Vocalion. Most were hot swing tunes that used an interesting gimmick; they faded up and faded out with a piano solo. These were probably arranged by pianist Skippy Anderson.
On September 2, 1927, he married actress Marcia Ralston in Sydney, Australia; they had met when he played a concert date.The couple adopted a son, Phil Harris, Jr. (b. 1935). They divorced in September 1940.
Harris in The High and the Mighty
In 1933, he made a short film for RKO called So This Is Harris!, which won an Academy Award for best live action short subject. He followed with a feature-length film, Melody Cruise. Both films were created by the same team that next produced Flying Down to Rio, which started the successful careers of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Phil also starred in "I Love a Bandleader" with Leslie Brooks in 1945. Here he played a housepainter who gets amnesia, then starts to lead a band. His nickname was 'Old Curly'. Additionally, he appeared in Thunder Across the Pacific (1951), alongside Forrest Tucker and Walter Brennan, during the same year, he made a cameo appearance in the Warner Bros. musical, Starlift, with Janice Rule and Dick Wesson, and was featured in The High and the Mighty with John Wayne in 1954.Phil also appeared in the 1956 film Goodbye, My Lady, co-starring with Walter Brennan.
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