Thurston Harris
July 11, 1931 – April 14, 1990
Thurston Harris was an American R&B singer who fronted the South Central Los Angeles vocal group, the Lamplighters in the early ’50s. He later became what many call a “one-hit wonder”, but what a hit it was! His recording of “Little Bitty Pretty One” shot to #6 on the American pop charts and is considered to this day one of the most popular records of the era. Listen to it below; you’ll likely recognize it from a film or television program. Harris scored a couple other minor hits at the end of the ’50s, “Do What You Did,” and “Runk Bunk.” He passed away of a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 58.