"Harry Hippie" is a 1972 song written by
Jim Ford
James Henry Ford (August 23, 1941 – November 18, 2007) was an American singer-songwriter originally from Johnson County, Kentucky. After living in New Orleans, Ford moved to Los Angeles, and finally settled in Fort Bragg, California. His ...
, who wrote it for singer
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guit ...
as a dedication to his brother, bass guitarist
Harry Womack
Harris "Harry" Womack (June 25, 1945 – March 9, 1974) was an American singer and musician, most notable for his tenure as a member of the family R&B quintet The Valentinos.
Biography
Early life
Harris "Harry" Womack grew up the fourth of five ...
.
Background
The song was loosely based on Bobby's brother's carefree behavior and was originally recorded as a funny tribute to his brother, that turned tragic when Harry Womack was killed by his girlfriend during a fight in 1974. From then on until his death, Bobby Womack sung the song as a dedication to his fallen late brother.
Womack explains the story behind the song and its aftermath:
Chart performance
The song was a top-10 R&B hit for Womack when issued as a single in 1973, reaching number eight on the chart, and was Womack's second top-40 hit on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 peaking at number 31 on the chart.
References
External links
* Rita Lorraine
"Harry Hippie – Bobby Womack" ''The Black History Channel'', February 6, 2016.
1972 songs
1973 singles
Bobby Womack songs
Song recordings produced by Bobby Womack
{{1970s-single-stub