Wonga Philip Harris (6/24/04 – 8/11/65) was born in Linton, Indiana, to circus performers; his father, a tent bandleader, gave son his first job in music, as a drummer for the circus band. He worked as a drummer, bandleader, vocalist, comedian, and recording artist. Mr. Harris grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1942, Mr. Harris and his band served in the US Navy through the end of World War II.

In 1936, he started in radio on “The Jell-O Show Starring Jack Benny”, as music director, singer, and bandleader. The “one-liner” retorts he shared with others on the show earned him a spot in the cast. In 1946, he and his wife, Alice Faye, started the “Fitch Bandwagon”, a showcase for bands.

The 1933 RKO Studios short film “So This Is Harris!” was his movie debut. Mr. Harris lent his voice to a number of animated characters, including Baloo the bear in 1967’s “Jungle Book” and Little John in 1973’s “Robin Hood”. He also appeared in feature, live-action films, and was featured in the 1954 John Wayne movie, “The High and the Mighty”. His last big-screen appearance was in 1991’s “Rock-a-Doodle”.

Mr. Harris worked his southern heritage into his music and comedy and his signature song was “That’s What I Like About the South”. Many of his recordings were of novelty comedy songs. On US serial television, he appeared on such diverse offerings as “The Steve Allen Show”, “Kraft Music Hall”, “Burke's Law”, “F Troop”, “The American Sportsman”, and “The Bing Crosby Show”.

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