Kent Levaughn Harris (October 15, 1930 – April 9, 2019) was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, who is best known as the writer of novelty tunes such as "

Shoppin' for Clothes "Shoppin' for Clothes" is a novelty R&B song in the talking blues style, recorded by American vocal group the Coasters in 1960. Originally credited to Elmo Glick, a songwriting pseudonym of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who also produced the tra ...

" (a hit for

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing ...

, credited to Harris,

Leiber and Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such Crossover music, crossover hit songs ...

),and "Cops and Robbers" (a hit for

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

). He recorded under various pseudonyms including Ducky Drake and Boogaloo and his Gallant Crew.

Biography

Kent Harris was born in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

and was raised in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

.''Blues Unlimited'', 1972, p.41
Retrieved 11 February 2013 He first recorded in 1954 as Ducky Drake for Trend Records, singing the B-side of his sister Dimples Harris' record "Hey Mr. Jelly." The B-side was called "1992." He would then change his stage name to Boogaloo. Harris originally recorded the song later known as "Shoppin' For Clothes" for

Crest Records Crest Records is a now defunct subsidiary record label of music publisher American Music owned by Sylvester Cross. History Crest Records started operating in 1954, released its first records in 1955. Its offices were located at 9109 Sunset Boul ...

, as "Clothes Line (Wrap It Up)." It was released in 1956 as by Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew. Following the relative failure of his two Crest singles, Harris abandoned his recording ambitions in favor of a career behind the scenes. He is listed with 97 songs in the BMI songwriters' database. Harris saw a number of his songs recorded by artists on Atlantic, Capitol, RCA and Columbia. The Coasters' hit version, produced by and co-credited to

, was released in 1960. The B-side of this record, "Cops And Robbers," later became a hit for

in 1957. His previous release for the label in 1955 was "Big Fat Lie" b/w "Talk About A Party." His sisters Marcene, Beverly, and Betty Harris recorded together as The Harris Sisters. Marcene "Dimples" Harris (April 18, 1933 – July 22, 1976) also had a single released in 1956 on Crest Records called "This I Do Believe" b/w "If You'll Be True" (Crest #1030) under the name Dimples Harris. Dimples also recorded for

Savoy Records Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

in 1951 as the Dimples Harris Trio. In 1960, Harris formed his own label, Romark Records, and eventually went into record retailing, running the Target record store in L.A. One record "Che Bongo Blues" b/w "Call Me Daddy" was released on Regent #1045. Two other recordings "I Do Believe" and "Good Timing Papa" were not released. Dimples also released some records as Marcene Harris such as "A Song To You" b/w "I Know How It Feels" (Romark #118), "Work It Out" b/w "Children Of Georgia" (Romark), "Hang On To What You Got" (Octave #8270), and "I Just Don't Understand" b/w "Guess Who" (Valiant #727, released in 1965). Dimples married Harold "Hack" Jackson. Betty was married to comedian

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. ...

. Beverly also filled in for

Zola Taylor Zoletta Lynn Taylor (March 17, 1938 – April 30, 2007) was an American singer. She was the original female member of The Platters from 1954 to 1962, when the group produced most of their popular singles. Litigation Zola Taylor was a member of ...

singing with

The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...

. Dimples died in 1976. Harris produced records for several artists in the 1960s and 1970s. He produced "Stick Shift" b/w "Cruising" by

The Duals The Duals were an American surf rock duo formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1961. Much of the collaboration's music capitalized on the style of music popularized in Southern California in the early 1960s. They reached the national charts with ...

in 1961 and "So Far Away" b/w "Monkey Hips And Rice" by Hank Jacobs in 1963, both records were released on

Sue Records ''Sue Records was also the name of a Louisiana-based record company which owned Jewel Records (Shreveport record label).'' Sue Records ("The Sound of Soul") was an American record label founded by Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robinson in 1957. ...

. He also produced records for

Adolph Jacobs Adolph Jacobs, later known as Al Jacobs (April 15, 1939 – July 23, 2014), was an American guitar player, best known as an original member of The Coasters. Biography Born Adolf Jacobs in Pineland, Sabine County, Texas, he played guitar with Vern ...

, Jimmy Ellis, and

The Mighty Hannibal James Timothy Shaw (August 9, 1939 – January 30, 2014), known as The Mighty Hannibal, was an American R&B, soul, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his showmanship, and outlandish costumes often incorporating a pink tu ...

on his own label, Romark Records. He produced some jazz recordings for

in the 1970s. Jacobs was a former member of

in the 1950s. Harris co-produced a record with Obie Jessie (better known as

Young Jessie Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie (December 28, 1936 – April 27, 2020) was an American R&B, rock and roll and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flair ...

) in 1972 on Stone Dogg Records called "Who's The Blame" b/w "Beautiful Day My Brother" by Obie Jessie and The Seeds Of Freedom. Other songs written by Harris include "Fat Sally" by The Sevilles (from 1961), "Lover Supreme" by

Prentice Moreland Prentice Moreland (March 4, 1925 – September 1988) was an American R&B and doo wop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s. Early life Moreland was born on March 4, 1925, in East St. Louis, Illinois. At some points in his life, he claime ...

, "I'll Come Back To You" by Dorothy Berry, "Tell Her For Me" by Jimmy Norman, "Oh! My Aching Back" by

H. B. Barnum Hidle Brown Barnum (born July 15, 1936) is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor. Biography After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the film ''Valley of the Su ...

(all from 1962), and "The Big Rip Off" by

(from 1976). Harris managed soul singer Ty Karim (born Veatrice Thomas, 1947–1983) and produced many of her records. Ty Karim died in 1983 from

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

. Their daughter Karime Harris is also a singer with the funk group the Killer Meters. UK's Kent Records (a subsidiary of Ace Records) released Ty Karim's complete known recordings entitled ''The Complete Ty Karim: Los Angeles' Soul Goddess'' in 2008.

Discography

Singles

* "Hey Mr. Jelly" / "1992" (Trend #2500) (1954) (

Side A The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

is by Dimples Harris) (Side B is by Harris as Ducky Drake) * "Saint Of Sinner" / "Long Lean Lanky Juke Box" (Trend #2501) (

is by Harris as Ducky Drake - matrix #45-T-141-5) (Side B is by Dimples Harris - matrix #45-T-142-6) * "Big Fat Lie" / "Talk About A Party" (Crest #1014) (1955) (as Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew) * "Clothes Line (Wrap It Up)" / "Cops And Robbers" (Crest #1030) (1956) (as Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew)

Various artists compilations

* ''Talk About A Party: Crest Records Story'' (Rockstar) (2004) * ''The Best Of Crest Records'' (Crest #1000) * ''Timeless Discoveries Kent Harris Presents: Reaching Back'' (2010) * ''Kent Harris' R&B Family'' (2012) * ''Romark Records - Kent Harris' Soul Sides'' (2013) * ''Catch Action: The Sophisticated Boogie Funk of Sheridan House Records'' (2014)

References

External links

Biography at Black Cat Rockabilly

The Real Shoppin' For Clothes

BMI Catalog
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Kent 1930 births 2019 deaths Musicians from Oklahoma City Record producers from Oklahoma Songwriters from Oklahoma