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Harry Middlebrooks, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1938 Thomaston, Georgia |
| Nationality | USA |
| Occupation | Singer/Songwriter |
| Known for | “Spooky" |
Harry Middlebrooks, Jr. was born on August 31, 1938, in Thomaston, Georgia. He is a singer/songwriter and composer, having written many notable songs over his career.
Early life and education
editMiddlebrooks began studying classical piano at age 6, and continued for 12 years. At a young age he sang solos in church and at school events, and he formed his first male vocal quartet at age 14. He attended R.E. Lee Institute as a high school student, playing several sports, and attended Georgia Institute of Technology on scholarship after graduating, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Textiles. At Georgia Tech, Middlebrooks formed his first band, called The Collegians. The band became popular around the Georgia Tech campus and around Atlanta, which caused Middlebrows to have to decline a track scholarship, because the band was playing most weekends.[1]
Music career
editAfter graduating from Georgia Tech, Middlebrooks was offered a management/songwriter contract with Bill Lowery, a well-known Atlanta music industry leader. Shortly after, he began working with famed engineer/producer Felton Jarvis, with who he wrote and recorded his first hit, “The U-T,” with his new band, Harry M and the Marvels, under the ABC-Paramount label.[2] He then did a stint with the U.S. Army’s “Second Army Showmobile,” a special-services unit, for two years, before returning to Atlanta to coninue playing and songwriting. It was during this time that he co-wrote what became his most famous song, “Spooky."[3]
Middlebrooks later moved to Los Angeles, where he had his own weekly variety show, called The Middlebrooks Show, for KABC-TV. While in Los Angeles, he signed with both Capitol Records and Reprise. He later began touring with Elvis Presley, both as part of the opening act as well as part of the back-up vocals. During this time, he also performed or recorded with a number of famous performers, including Glen Campbell, Vicki Carr, Johnny Mathis, Captain & Tennille, Lawrence Welk, Neil Diamond, Ann Murray, Della Reese, and others.
Today, Middlebrooks performs mostly in Los Angeles and around the nightclub circuit in the San Fernando Valley, as well as touring the Nevada casino circuit, including Reno, Elko, Jackpot, Laughlin, among others. Besides writing songs for his own bands, Middlebrooks has built up a large portfolio of songs written for other artists. He has written songs for Eddy Arnold, Roy Clark, Tom Jones, Liberace, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Andy Williams, among others.
Film and voiceover work
editMiddlebrooks has gotten a number of small acting roles, in both films and commercials, and has done voiceover work, for example, creating the voices of Shaker and Zeke in Disneyland's and Disneyworld's Country Bear Jamboree.
References
edit- ^ Harry Middlebrooks Official Web Site, “Official Bio",
- ^ They Heard Georgia Singing, [1], Mercer University Press, June 1, 1996
- ^ "Who Did it First?: Great Pop Cover Songs and Their Original Artists by Bob Leszczak, Rowan & Littlefield", March, 2014