Wee Willie Harris dies aged 90: ‘Wild man of rock and roll’ and Beatles inspiration passes away

Rock ‘n’ roll star Wee Willie Harris has died at the age of 90.

The musician – real name Charles William Harris – who inspired John Lennon and Paul McCartney – passed away on Thursday, his wife confirmed.

Known for his energetic live performances and brightly colored pink hair, he was nicknamed Wee Willie Harris due to his short stature of only 5ft 2.

He rose to fame through live TV appearances in the 1950s, where he became known as ‘Britain’s wild man of rock ‘n’ roll’.

His wife of 47 years, Shelia, told The sun: ‘He was a lovely man. A sweet husband. But it was music all the way with him’, after which music icon Dusty Springfield paid tribute and gave a nod to ‘the best vocals’.

In her moving statement, his wife continued, “He was just such a brilliant man. He inspired so many, including Paul McCartney. He was an absolute sensation. He will be so, so missed by so many.

“He could sing until the end and was always a perfect gentleman.”

Hailing from Bermondsey, South London, Willie was mentioned in Paul McCartney’s biography where he recalls queuing for his autograph outside the Liverpool Empire.

Legendary singer Dusty led tributes on Friday. She wrote, “We are sorry to hear of the passing of Wee Will Harris on April 27th. In 1966 Wee Willie recorded this song and had the best backing vocals ever, Dusty and Madeline…

“He came to Dusty Day in 2013 and entertained us with his stories and songs.”

His former bandmate Tony Thorpe added: ‘Willie was a brother, father, teacher, therapist and friend to me and I miss him terribly. God bless you, dude, as I’m sure he does.’

Willie started his career as a pudding mixer at Peek Freans’ London bakery, but turned into a professional musician after realizing he could “make more money” singing.

He then began performing at The 2i’s Coffee Bar in Soho, London, where he was the resident pianist and performed with Tommy Steele, Adam Faith, Screaming Lord Sutch and others.

In November 1957 he was selected by TV producer Jack Good to appear in the BBC show Six-Five Special.

His appearances on the show sparked media concerns about the BBC’s role in ‘fostering teenage decadence’.

His debut single, ‘Rockin’ At the 2 I’s’, was released in December 1957 on the Decca label and was followed by several others, although none reached the UK Singles Chart.

He then became a popular performer on TV shows and in live performances, and was known for his relentless energy, multicolored dyed hair (often green, orange or pink), and clothes.

One critic at the time wrote, ‘It spins like an exploding Catherine wheel, grunting, squeaking and what sounds like a violent hiccup’.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon reportedly lined up for his signature when he played for Liverpool in 1958.

In May 1960 he took part in a tour of the United Kingdom with Conway Twitty, Freddy Cannon and Johnny Preston.

He continued to record in the 1960s, for HMV, Polydor and Parlophone, and continued to perform in the UK and elsewhere on cruise ships.

In the mid 1970s he lived in Prestwich, near Manchester, and resurfaced as a nostalgic act in the late 1970s, after Ian Dury mentioned him in the song ‘Reasons to be Merry, Part 3’.

Harris later recorded an album dedicated to Dury, Twenty Reasons To Be Merry (2000), and his early recordings were released on CD in 1999.

In 1991 he briefly starred in the video for Hale & Pace’s ‘The Stonk’ contribution to Comic Relief and in 2003 released the album Rag Moppin’ backed by the Alabama Slammers.

In 2005, Harris appeared as a ‘mystery guest’ on the comedy music quiz program Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Six years later he was interviewed by Melvyn Bragg as part of the Reel History of Britain series, in which he spoke about rock and roll in Britain.

Rollercoaster Records published I Go Ape! – The Wee Willie Harris Story by Rob Finnis, an 88-page illustrated biography accompanied by a 30-track CD featuring the best of Harris’s rock and roll recordings, in 2018.