Wynonie Harris
August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969
Wynonie Harris was popular jump blues and R&B singer during the late ’40s, earning himself fifteen Top 10 hits during a six year span from 1946 to 1952. He is generally credited for helping lead jazz and blues into rock ‘n roll. Influenced early on by singers, Big Joe Turner and Jimmy Rushing, Harris started making a name for himself during the Great Depression. In 1940, he moved to Los Angeles where he began to be known as “Mr. Blue.” Harris stayed active both recording and performing into the mid ’60s. He died of esophageal cancer on June 14, 1969.