The Vending Machine Business

Phil Harris Is An Old-Time Radio Legend

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show was the show that made Phil Harris a household name in old time radio.

Born Wonga Phillip Harris in Linton, Indiana, Phil spent his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1920s he began his career as a drummer, which later led to the development of his own band in the 1930s.



His career transcended many areas including the film industry. So This is Harris is a film that he made for RKO in 1933. It ended up earning an Academy Award for best live action short subject.

In 1936, just a couple of years later, the Jack Benny Show received a new musical director, Harris. The band had him as their lead and he also sang. But he also had a speaking role as a comic Southern character. It was at this time that he became as well known for his comedy as for his musical talent. It wasn't long before he recorded musical numbers too, using a varied mix of musical styles to help his music get noticed and stand out from the crowd.

In 1941 he married Alice Faye, who he remained married to for 54 years. It was the second marriage for both, but clearly they found the right person this time around. Fitch Bandwagon eventually invited the couple to perform.

The show's original concept was a focus on swing music, but Phil and Alice became successful in their own right and so the show became their own, the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.

The show became a comedy and the show order meant that the couple would perform a song together for each episode. For 6 years, the show continued its reign of success. In 1954 it aired the last episode. By this time, the dawn of TV shows was on the up, which was why many old time radio shows were quickly going.

Harris maintained his musical career connection long after the original radio show ended. Starring in many television productions, Harris also did much voice over work for Disney classic The Jungle Book and The Aristocats, as Baloo and Thomas O'Malley respectively.

Later on in his life, Harris gave back to the communities in which he grew up, with donations to students of Linton (his hometown) and Palm Springs, where he spent much time as a young adult. A lot of his merchandise was handed over to the Linton Public Library, and it can still be found there. He died of a heart attack in 1995 at 91 years of age. His wife Alice lived another 3 years after his death.

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