Three-decade career packed with firsts

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Larnelle Harris has achieved his share of firsts.

A member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, Harris was the first Christian artist to perform inside the Kremlin after the fall of the Soviet Union.

As one of the first Christian artists to cross racial barriers and build healing bridges with predominantly white churches who had never had a black singer on their platform, Harris told The Log he did not set out intentionally to accomplish this.

“There’s a time and place for everything, and I believe God wanted to say some things to me and help break down walls that I inherited in my young life,” he said. “The Bible teaches us that simply ‘loving your neighbor as yourself’ can bring people of all backgrounds and cultures together as one. Our differences should not be viewed as barriers, but as opportunities to truly mirror the love, forgiveness and mercy that God has shown to all of us.”

Harris has also performed a couple of times at the White House for George and Barbara Bush in conjunction with the Points of Light campaign.

“My song, ‘Mighty Spirit,’ was the theme song for the Points of Light television campaign, and I’m told it was the longest running Public Service Announcement in television history,” Harris said. “It was an honor to join my ministry with the Points of Light Foundation’s efforts to encourage people to serve their communities and make a difference in the lives of people who are in need.”

Whether singing for kings and dignitaries, our Armed Forces on the front lines, or in the middle of a clearing in an African village, Harris considers it a privilege to sing about God wherever he is.

“The first time I sang for the Billy Graham organization was in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I sang to more than 60,000 people,” he said. “That same morning, I sang at a local church where there were 15 people. My favorite place to sing is wherever God sends me.”

Harris describes his music and ministry as “The Truth” — and not just as he sees it.

“I want to sing songs that challenge people to make their lives better and encourage them to seek closer relationships with their fellow men and women,” he said. “For me, that Truth has come from the Scriptures and singing about them. I actually listen to the lyrics I sing. I don’t want to sing junk. I wouldn’t go across the street to sing an ordinary song.  But I would, and have, gone around the world to sing the Truth of God.  My prayer has always been, ‘Lord, put something in my heart and teach me how to give it away.’ ”

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Born in Danville, Ky., in 1947, Harris began singing at the age of nine, took piano lessons at a young age — “whether I wanted them or not” — and studied voice at Western Kentucky University.

“As a boy soprano, I had a tough life,” he said. “When I would sing the old hymns in church, the ladies would just cry, but the kids my own age would laugh and throw things. At WKU, I had to learn German, Italian and French vocal techniques. It was a bit overwhelming for a kid from Kentucky, but I enjoyed it all and learned so much during my years there.”

However, Harris credits his schoolteachers and immediate family with influencing his musical abilities.

“My mom and dad both sang in church,” he said. “Dad sang in a quartet and Mom sang solos. I grew up listening to jazz and blues. I listened to a lot of different singers and musicians including Jimmy Smith, James Brown, Ray Charles, Perry Como and Buddy Rich.”

Harris, also a songwriter, said all his songs come from his personal experiences.

“Hopefully, they all contain universal truths to which everyone can relate,” he said. “‘Never Too Broken To Mend’ is one of my favorites because the idea is this: Just like I can take a washing machine back to the manufacturer to be fixed, I can also go to God when something in life has hurt me and my heart is broken. The Bible says I am ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’, so I know my Maker can mend the brokenness I have. And I am encouraged to know that whatever painful things I may go through in life, nothing is ever too broken that God cannot heal it and restore it.”

It is Harris’s rendition of “Amen,” written by Jester Hairston, that has become his signature song and one most requested.

“I suppose ‘Amen’ may be the underpinning of everything else I sing on stage,’ Harris said. “At the end of a concert, I want everyone to know that I believe every lyric to every song I have sung. So ending the evening with ‘Amen’, which means ‘So be it,’ always seems to resonate with people.”

Another popular song associated with Harris is the memorable duet, “I’ve Just Seen Jesus”, performed with Sandi Patty.

“Sandi is a great singer and it has been my privilege over the years to share the stage with her,” he said. “And it has been very humbling to see the songs we have birthed together still make an impact on people’s lives today.”

An avid golfer, Harris will have numerous courses to choose from during his Destin visit, but will he have time to get in nine?

“I generally don’t have time to visit golf courses while I’m touring,” he said. “But I sure do love to play!”