Wee Willie Harris

In the first wave of rock & roll, England could only offer pale Elvis imitations or ancient pop singers masquerading as such. One exception to the rule was Wee Willie Harris. Dying his hair all manner of colors and wearing larger-than-life stage jackets that looked like the coat hanger was still inside, tight drainpipe trousers, and a huge polka-dot bow tie, Harris understandably stood out from the rest of the pack. Coming from the Two I's coffeehouse circuit in Soho, Harris had a love for hard American rock & roll and an ability to perform it with unrelenting energy that kept him actively performing and recording from the mid-'50s onward, working everything from nostalgia packages to cruise ships across the Atlantic — anyplace where his humorous and dynamic stage show could have a forum.