Harry Middlebrooks Bio
Singer - pianist - composer Harry Middlebrooks
was born and raised in
small-town
Georgia - Thomaston, population 10,000. Starting at age six,
he studied classical piano for 12 years, began singing solos in church and
grade school at age eight, and formed his first (of many) male
vocal-quartets at age 14. After
an active high school career
(academics, all sports, music, school politics), he attended Georgia Tech
in Atlanta on a scholastic scholarship, earning the degree of Bachelor of Science in
Textiles. While at Tech, Harry formed his first band (The
Collegians), was president of the Glee Club, joined the ATO
Fraternity, and participated in track and cross country, earning letters
in both sports. Harry was offered an additional track
scholarship, which he declined because of his rapidly growing interest in
music - his band was playing every weekend. After graduation, Harry
signed a management/songwriter contract with Atlanta's Bill Lowery,
working with famed engineer/producer, Felton Jarvis, to write and
record his first hit, The U-T" with his band, Harry
M and
the Marvels, on the ABC-Paramount label.
After a two-year stint as a
lieutenant in the Army, including six months with the Second Army
Showmobile special-services unit, Harry returned to Atlanta to
nightclubs, song-writing (he co-wrote the mega-hit, Spooky), and
local television. These activities ultimately led him to Los Angeles
and (with the help of mentor Dick Dinsmore) his own weekly television variety show, The Middlebrooks Show,
for KABC-TV Channel 7. Recording contracts followed with both
Reprise and Capitol Records. He later toured the country
with Elvis Presley as part of his opening act and back-up vocal
group, and has performed and/or recorded with various other well-known
performers (Glen Campbell, Vicki Carr, Johnny Mathis, Captain &
Tennille, Lawrence Welk, Anne Murray, The Ventures, Al Martino, Patti
Page, Four Freshmen, Jose Feliciano, Della Reese, Michelle Lee, Neil
Diamond, Bobbie Gentry, Tony Orlando, etc.).
In recent years,
Harry
has been performing with his own band (often with female vocalist ,
Terry Gregory) in many of the prominent nightclubs in Los Angeles and
in the San Fernando Valley, where he has a home in the city of Northridge.
Harry and his band have also appeared from time to time on the
famous Nevada casino circuit (Reno, Elko, Jackpot, Laughlin, etc.).
In addition to his own recordings, Harry has written many
songs for other artists, including Tom Jones, Liberace, Eddy Arnold,
Oak Ridge Boys, Andy Williams and Roy Clark. He also gets
an occasional acting role or singing commercial on TV or radio, as well
as composing assignments (original music) for both films and television.
In addition, Harry is sometimes hired as a voice-over specialist
for various productions, having created (among others) the voices for two
of the leading characters (Shaker and Zeke) in
Disneyland/Disneyworld's very popular Country Bear Jamboree.
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