{"id":12663,"date":"2021-11-17T11:12:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T18:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.louielouie.net\/blog\/?p=12663"},"modified":"2022-01-26T14:39:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T21:39:18","slug":"rip-gail-harris-member-of-fabulous-wailers-revue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.louielouie.net\/blog\/?p=12663","title":{"rendered":"RIP: Gail Harris, member of Fabulous Wailers revue"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We are saddened to report the passing of Gail Harris<\/strong>, a dynamic female vocalist from the Pacific Northwest. Like Rockin’ Robin Roberts<\/strong>, she was a singer that sang regularly with the Fabulous Wailers<\/strong> as part of their revue show. <\/p>\n

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Jivetime Records<\/a> provided an excellent summary of her career…<\/p>\n

The Wailers had begun as an instrumental band like many of the original NW Sound artists. With the addition of \u201cRockin\u2019 Robin\u201d Roberts, they set out to imitate the R&B revues that were popular at the time\u2026one band backing several featured singers. Obviously, the main attraction was \u201cRockin\u2019 Robin,\u201d but soon, the group added a \u201cgirl singer\u201d from Puyallup named Gail Harris. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jivetime Records<\/a> discussed how prior to joining up with the Wailers, Ms. Harris had appeared in several talent contests and on The Bar-K Jamboree, a weekly live radio show hosted by country music artist Buck Owens<\/strong>, who was then pursuing a radio and television career in the Northwest.<\/p>\n

Buck Owens wanted Gail Harris to become a regular member of his \u201cgang\u201d but Harris\u2019s first love was R&B, and she was already pursuing her dreams by diligently practicing songs by her favorite R&B artists and honing her stage presence in front of a mirror and for her family. From the beginning of her 2-3 year stint with The Wailers, she must have blown the bobby socks and tenny-runners off every largely teenaged audience. Gail could be compared to both Little Brenda Lee<\/strong> with the clarity of her voice and bravado and the sustained, sexual growl of early recordings by Tina Turner<\/strong>. Gail\u2019s love of R&B made Ike and Turner 1960 hit \u201cI Idolize You\u201d one of her signature songs, and blew the house down every time she performed it.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that Gail Harris also looked well beyond her actual age and could be just as demure and charming off stage as she was ravaging onstage while singing. Gail performed \u201cI Idolize You\u201d with The Wailers on their groundbreaking live album, The Fabulous Wailers at The Castle. The record is still one of the NW Sound\u2019s most important albums. It set high standards that other of the early 1960s bands would try to emulate, but only a handful could achieve. The live album also included her interpretation of the Jimmy Davis<\/strong> penned \u201cAll I Could Do Was Cry\u201d made famous by Etta James<\/strong>. The live album was rounded-out with four numbers sung by \u201cRockin Robin\u201d Roberts and two by Kent Morrill<\/strong>. The album was recorded by Seattle legend Joe Boles<\/strong> and produced by Ormsby, Morrill, and promoter\/DJ\/entrepreneur Pat O\u2019Day<\/strong>. The album was an immediate regional hit when it was released.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Gail Harris didn’t release a lot of records, but what she recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the Wailers was fantastic!<\/p>\n