Damon Harris
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Otis Robert "Damon" Harris Jr. (July 17, 1950 – February 18, 2013) was an American
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and R&B singer, most notable as a member of
The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...
from 1971 to 1975. Harris was the youngest member of The Temptations, joining the group at the age of twenty. As a teenager, Harris formed a Temptations
tribute band A tribute act, tribute band, tribute group or tribute artist is a Musical ensemble, music group, Singing, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the so ...
named The Young Tempts (a.k.a. The Young Vandals). The group had charted singles on T-Neck Records and later had a few minor hits under the name Impact. He was also instrumental in helping his former band mate , Billy Griffin, to replace
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...
for
The Miracles The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...
. Harris later founded and became the CEO of the Damon Harris Cancer Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
.


Biography

Harris was born on July 17, 1950, in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. Harris attended Forest Park High School and graduated from Northwestern High School. He had once planned to be an athlete, but reconsidered.


The Young Tempts/The Young Vandals (1966–1970)

As a teenager growing up in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
, Harris was a major Temptations fan, and idolized in particular the group's falsetto, Eddie Kendricks. Patterning himself after Kendricks, Harris and his friends John Quinton Simms, Charles Timmons (also known as Kareem Ali, who went on to perform with Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue), and Donald Knute Tighman, formed a Temptations-inspired vocal group during his high school years called The Young Tempts ("Tempts" being a nickname for the Temptations). The Young Tempts recorded covers of two 1966 Temptations' songs, "I've Been Good to You" (a song originally recorded by The Miracles), and "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," for
The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
' T-Neck Records in 1970.
Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
filed an
injunction An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable rem ...
against T-Neck because of the group's name; the single was withdrawn and re-issued with the group credited as The Young Vandals, and reached #46 on the R&B charts. After two more T-Neck singles, " In My Opinion" and "I'm Gonna Wait For You", The Young Vandals broke up, because Harris felt that college would be a more sensible endeavor than a singing career.


The Temptations (1971–1975)

In July 1971, a friend convinced Harris to audition for The Temptations, at the Watergate Hotel in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
Eddie Kendricks had left the group and was replaced with Ricky Owens from The Vibrations. According to
Otis Williams Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American second tenor/baritone singer.Ribowsky, Mark (2010). ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Endearing Soul of the Temptations''. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. ...
, Owens was giving uneven performances, and The Temptations were again looking for a replacement. Harris first performed for Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, and Dennis Edwards before auditioning for Williams. Williams was hesitant about taking on the young singer, who was nearly a decade younger than the rest of The Temptations. Franklin, Street, and Edwards voted to accept Harris, however, and he made his onstage debut a few weeks later as first
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
/
falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...
. Harris' first album with the Temptations was '' Solid Rock'', performing falsetto vocals on hits such as " Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971) and "Take a Look Around" (1972). Harris later provided vocals on the hit single " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972, a three-time
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
winner), "
Masterpiece A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
" (1973), and "Plastic Man" (1973). He sang lead on "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" from the '' All Directions'' album (1972) and was featured prominently on '' The Temptations in Japan'' (1973). By 1975, Williams observed a change in Harris' behavior, writing he was "respectful, easy to work with, and a generally great guy to have around. Once the probation ended and the big money started coming in, things changed." During meetings, Harris began questioning how things were run in the group and wanted Edwards to complain as well. Edwards however refused. While recording the song " Glasshouse", Harris refused to follow
Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...
's instructions, in which Gordy instructed Williams to "get rid of him." During a performance at the
Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...
, Harris gave an impromptu speech, thanking the audience on behalf of the group for helping them to "buy these fine mink coats and beautiful cars and homes and diamonds". Harris was subsequently fired from the group in 1975.


Impact (1976–1978)

After leaving the Temptations, Harris reformed The Young Vandals with Simms, Timmons (Kareem Ali), and Tilghman, renaming the group Impact. They signed a deal with WMOT Records in 1976, recording a self-titled album with two singles, "Happy Man" and "Give a Broken Heart a Break". In 1977, Impact signed with
Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its inves ...
, which issued the album ''The Pac is Back''. In 1978, Harris released a solo album titled ''Silk''.


Later years

Harris soon retired from music and earned a degree in music from the University of Nevada. After graduating, he worked as a music teacher for special education students at Earl Wooster High School in
Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...
. In 1995, he relaunched his music career, in which he re-released the album ''Silk''. He also began touring, sometimes billing himself as The Temptations Review Starring Damon Harris. Richard Street, another ex-Temptation, periodically performed with Harris' Temptations review until he formed his own Temptations group. He also briefly toured with former Temptations
David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–1968) during the group's "Classic Five" p ...
, Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards before Ruffin and Kendricks died.


Personal life and death

In October 1971, Harris met his future wife, Christina Combs, at the backstage of the Apollo Theater. In August 1973, they were married at the St. Augustine's Episcopal Chapel in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The couple had two children, Otis Robert Harris III and Dominique Chris-Ann Harris. At the age of 47, Harris was diagnosed with
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
, while making a comeback into the music industry. In September 2000, Harris (who, at the time, was in remission) went public with his bout, telling ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine: "I had two choices. Be despondent and get mad at God, or accept it and do something positive." A month later, his health struggle was profiled in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. In 2001, Harris founded The Damon Harris Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer diagnoses and treatments. The organization has a special focus in reaching Black audiences, as Black men have an approximately 60 percent higher chance of contracting prostate cancer than white men, and are twice as likely to die from the disease. On May 5, 2001, South Jersey radio host Tim Marshall organized the first Damon Harris Cancer Foundation Benefit Gala held in Mount Laurel NJ. Entertainers including Ms. Marilyn Marshall and The Delfonics paid tribute to Harris who was honored for his charitable works. Harris received a Proclamation from the New Jersey Legislature presented by State Senator Diane Allen. Harris was also a regular guest co-host on R&B Showcase Radio Show on WBZC FM in South Jersey. On February 18, 2013, Harris died at a
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...
from
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
, at the age of 62.


Discography


Impact albums

* 1976: ''Impact'' * 1977: ''The Pac is Back''


Solo albums

* 1978: ''Silk''


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

*
Prostate Cancer Information and Support Website.

Damon Harris biography


* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Damon 1950 births 2013 deaths Singers from Baltimore American soul musicians The Temptations members American male singers American tenors African-American male singers American soul singers Deaths from prostate cancer in Maryland