Phil Harris

Phil Harris (b. Wonga Philip Harris in Linton, January 16,1904 – Rancho Mirage, California, August 11,1995) – Singer, songwriter, comedian, bandleader, and drummer. At age nine, Harris was a drummer at the Nicklo Theater in Linton and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with his family two years later. Nonetheless, he kept close ties with his Hoosier birthplace, as he later established high school scholarships, hosted an annual celebrity golf tournament there and donated memorabilia to the local library. In fact, a golf course outside of Linton bears his name. In the 1920s, he took his career to California, where he at first played drums in big bands and later co-lead the Lofner-Harris Band. Nonetheless, he found his niche in situational radio comedy. Starting in 1936, he was music director of the Jack Benny show, for which he led a band, sang and played Jack Benny’s sidekick. His signature song was “That’s What I Like About the South.” He also sang frequently with his good friend Dean Martin. In 1948, he and his second wife started their own variety radio program, which overlapped for a few years with the Jack Benny show on opposing networks. By 1954, his radio shows had ended, and he revived his music career. Also later in his life, he had great success as a voice actor in Disney animated films including The Jungle Book (1967), in which he played Baloo the Bear.