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Person Biography:
Phil Harris was a renowned bandleader, radio, film, and TV actor who celebrated his Southern roots. Born in Linton, Indiana, but spending his early years in Nashville, Tennessee, Harris developed a distinct Southern accent and later incorporated self-deprecating remarks into his radio persona.
Harris started his musical career in San Francisco as a drummer and later formed an orchestra with Carol Lofner, which led to a lengthy residency at the St. Francis Hotel. He wed actress Marcia Ralston in Sydney, Australia, and they had a son, Phil Harris Jr., before divorcing in 1940.
Harris joined The Jell-O Show Starring Jack Benny, later renamed The Jack Benny Program, as musical director and singer, and his witty one-liners and jive-talk nicknames for the other cast members became his signature. He married actress Alice Faye in 1941, and they remained together for 54 years until his passing.
Harris and his band joined the United States Navy during World War II and remained there until the end of the conflict. After the war, he and Faye co-starred in the radio show The Fitch Bandwagon, which evolved into the popular situation comedy The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.
Harris continued to work in music, television, and film, making guest appearances on shows such as Hollywood Palace and Kraft Music Hall, and providing voice acting and vocals for animated movies like The Jungle Book and The Aristocats.
