Tommie Harris (75) was convincing in front of a pleasantly full taproom at Café 't Keerpunt. Together with Piano Pete and The Greyhound it was another authentic and heartfelt blues afternoon. Harris compared the atmosphere to that of juke joints in the States. "I feel at home!", he said.
Gregor Hilden and Jimmy Reiter sadly announced the news on their Facebook pages. Old-school bluesman Tommie Harris passed away on April 19, 2025.
Tommie was born in 1938 and grew up in the Southern states, at a time when life was tough for people of his color.
As a young man, he sang gospel, but after moving to Chicago, he began to turn to blues and jazz. There, he met musicians such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed (in whose band he took over as drummer), and Luther Allison.
He later toured Europe with Luther after returning to Germany, his new home, as a soldier with the US Air Force. He played with all sorts of greats and was eventually inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in the late 1980s. Harris was also a member of Dynamite Daze, the old band of the legendary Louisiana Red.
R.I.P. Tommie.
Blog Rocktimes (19 April 2025)
On April 19th, Tommie Harris passed away at the age of 87. I have very fond memories of the performances I was allowed to do with him. This photo was taken during the blues festival in the Tamboer theater in Hoogeveen.
A great blues musician has left us.
Farewell, my friend!
Tommie Harris was a fine man and a musician with personality.
He was a regular at our blues sessions for 15 years and had already agreed to come back in September.
Since he stayed at our house during the concerts i got to know him a little better. After the sessions, we often sat in the kitchen for hours and he talked about his life. I will miss that.
He was born in 1938 in Bessemer, Alabama. In 1959, he joined the Air Force, and his path led him from Korea to Germany. In 1964, he founded his first band.
Harris has lived in Germany for 51 years. He worked with blues greats such as Luther Allison and was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.
Tosch Case on Facebook (20 April 2025)