Phil Harris was an American musician, actor and comedian. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in the radio comedy genre, first in “The Jack Benny Programme”, then “The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show”, which he starred in for eight years with his wife, singer and actress Alice Faye. Harris is also known for his voice work on animated films. He voiced Baloo in 'The Jungle Book' (1967), Thomas O'Malley in 'Aristocrat Cats' (1970), Little John in 'Robin Hood' (1973) and Patu in 'The New Adventures of Dog and His Friends' (1991). In 1950, Phil Harris recorded the single 'The Thing'.

Harris was born in Linton, Indiana, but grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. His calling card was the song "That's What I Like About the South". His parents were circus performers. His father helped him get a job as a drummer in a circus orchestra.

Harris began his musical career as a drummer in San Francisco, forming an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the late 1920s and beginning a long association with the St. Francis Hotel (now the Westin St. Francis). The partnership ended in 1932, and Harris took over the band in Los Angeles, in which he was both singer and leader. In the mid-1920s, he played drums in Henry Halstead's Big Band Orchestra.

In 1936, Harris became the musical director of ‘The Jell-O Show Starring Jack Benny’, featuring Jack Benny and Mahlon Merrick. In 1942, Harris and his band enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served until the end of World War II. In 1946, Harris and his wife Alice Faye began co-hosting ‘The Fitch Bandwagon’, an entertaining comedy show that followed the Jack Benny Show on Sundays. The show was soon renamed and was called ‘The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show’. The show aired until 1954. Harris appeared on the Jack Benny Show from 1948 to 1952.

Harris recorded his first songs as early as 1931. Among them was the single "The Thing", which was recorded on October 13, 1950 on RCA Records, and first entered the Billboard chart on November 17, 1950. It stayed on the chart for 14 weeks, reaching number one.
In 1994, a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Harris.

Phil Harris died on August 11, 1995 from a heart attack at his home in Rancho Mirage. He is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City.

For the 120th birth anniversary of Phil Harris – a selection of tunes performed by the famous musician.