The Don Harrison Band

History

Don Harrison was born c.1944 and grew up in an integrated Louisville, Kentucky neighbourhood. He first performed as a singer in an otherwise all-black a cappella group. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1962 where he performed in bars and as a studio musician. After Creedence split up, Cook and Clifford had set up a studio in a converted warehouse known as The Factory. Originally DaShiell, Cook and Clifford intended to produce Harrison, but they then decided to launch the band together with him instead. They were signed by Atlantic Records, and debuted with a cover version of Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1955 hit "Sixteen Tons", which featured Hugh Cregg (later better known as Huey Lewis) on harmonica.

They released two albums on Atlantic: The Don Harrison Band (Atlantic SD-18171) in April 1976, which featured the Memphis Horns, and Red Hot (Wounded Bird Records - WOBR 1820) in January 1977. The band's debut album peaked at number 159 on the Billboard 200, and received a positive critical response. They also made the charts with "Sixteen Tons", which peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Red Hot, which saw the addition of keyboard player John Tanner, also received positive reviews but was less commercially successful. During the band's heyday, Don Harrison resided in Bell Gardens, California leading a modest lifestyle in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, where he converted a multiplex into a modest looking single family home.

A highlight for the band was performing as opening act at the 1976 Knebworth Festival headlined by the Rolling Stones.

After the breakup, Harrison recorded a solo album (Not Far From Free) and then seemingly disappeared from the music scene. DaShiell continues to work and record in the Los Angeles area. Cook later played in Southern Pacific (band). The ex-CCR members, Cook and Clifford, are now back on tour performing with their band, Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

Albums

Singles