Hall of Fame vocalist Larnelle Harris releases memoir
Industry: Entertainment & Games
5-time Grammy winner Larnelle Harris shares the tragedies and triumphs of his five-decade career in new book
Louisville, KY (PRUnderground) January 16th, 2018
Hall of Fame vocalist and five-time Grammy winner, Larnelle Harris, is releasing his first memoir entitled “Shaped Notes: How Ordinary People with Extraordinary Gifts Influenced my Life and Career.” Co-written with Christine Schaub, critically-acclaimed author of the Music of the Heart book series, “Shaped Notes” offers long-time fans and new admirers of Harris a glimpse into the childhood and early career of one of gospel music’s most renowned vocalists.
In “Shaped Notes,” Harris shares some painful memories that he has never shared publicly. He recounts an incident as a young child when his parents were in a physical altercation and he “shot” his father with a toy cap gun: “That gun was real to me in that moment…The noise stopped Dad in his tracks and he turned and looked at me, immediately let go of Mom, then went somewhere…”
He remembers his father going to jail for bootlegging: “I believe now that prison was part and parcel of God answering Mom’s prayer…pain is a part of God’s plan for our lives. It refines us…”
Harris recalls some specific incidences of racial tension during the early years of his career: “We were told the FBI was called and they somehow made certain our hotel was being protected…”
Harris’ career has spanned five decades, and is still going strong. This past year, he released a compilation CD featuring two new songs. The title track, “Disturb Us, Lord,” was played on radio stations nationwide and appeared on the National Inspirational chart. The music video for the song recently garnered the Gold Award for Best Music Video from the Christian Family Film Festival.
Later this year, Harris will release his first Christmas musical, based on his original song “All Year Long” from his Grammy Award-winning Christmas album.
About Larnelle Harris
Larnelle Harris is the only person in history to be a member of three distinct hall of fame organizations: the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. He has achieved nineteen #1 radio singles and a plethora of top 10 hits. Harris was the first gospel artist to perform inside the Kremlin after the fall of the Soviet Union. He received the Silver Bell Award from the Ad Council for Distinguished Public Service in recognition of his song ”Mighty Spirit” as the theme song for the longest-running Public Service Announcement in television history. Harris and his wife of 45 years, Cynthia (a.k.a. Mitzy), reside in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Christine Schaub:
Christine Schaub is the author of the critically-acclaimed MUSIC OF THE HEART series, including “Finding Anna”–the story behind the writing of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul,” and “The Longing Season”–the story behind “Amazing Grace.” She won the On the Page screenwriting contest at Screenwriting Expo 2 in Los Angeles, developed four biopic teleplays, and published an online column for the MethodX website. She graduated from Anderson University with a degree in Mass Communications, and has received awards for writing and design.
