| Harry Barris | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1905 |
| Origin | |
| Died | 13 December 1962 |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Vocalist, Composer, Pianist |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Associated acts | Bing Crosby, The Rhythm Boys, Paul Whiteman, Al Rinker |
Harry Barris (November 24, 1905 – December 13, 1962) was an American popular singer and songwriter.
Born in New York City, he was a member of the Rhythm Boys, a late 1920s singing trio which included Al Rinker and Bing Crosby, and was Crosby's entry into show business. The group sang several songs in the Paul Whiteman Orchestra film King of Jazz (1930) and recorded both with Whiteman and on their own with Barris on piano.
Barris appeared in 57 films between 1931 and 1950, usually as a band member, pianist and/or singer. In The Lost Weekend (1945), he is the nightclub pianist who humiliates Ray Milland by singing "Somebody Stole My Purse". An unusual change of pace for Barris was his comedy role in The Fleet's In (1942), as a runty sailor named Pee Wee who perpetrates malapropisms in a surprisingly deep voice.
Offscreen, Barris successfully composed songs including "Mississippi Mud", "I Surrender, Dear", "It Must Be True" and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams". Rinker and Crosby also carved out careers on their own as well.
Barris was the uncle of game show host and producer Chuck Barris who, among other things, not only co-created and hosted The Gong Show in the second half of the 1970s but was also the subject of the George Clooney film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
Due to a life-long drinking problem, he died in Burbank, California, aged 57.