R.i.P. - Tommie Harris passed away on April 19, 2025

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 people of his color had a tough time.

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, among others.

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.

If you search for Tommie in our magazine, you'll find him in many places. The drums are silent down here now, but we're sure they're vibrating somewhere else now, and certainly with Jimmy and Luther again.

R.I.P. Tommie

Bluescats ft. Tommie Harris - Why I sing the blues

Tommie Harris, live / Münster Hafenfest 2016 (Rest in Peace)

Tommie Harris - It's a Blues World - A documentary