Harris was born James Samuel Harris Jr. on April 23, 1927 in Chicago Illinois, the son of James Samuel Harris Sr. (1893–1930), a gambler, and his wife, Alberta Jones Nelson (1895–1930). When his father was shot while gambling and his mother died of grieving, he was orphaned at age 3. He lived with foster families until he was 11 or 12 when he and his sister went to live with his grandparents in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has been married four times. One of his daughters died. He is the father of Jimmy Jam (James Harris III) who produced records for Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Usher.

Country music was an early influence, and Hank Williams and Gene Autry are among his early favorites.

Harris helped invent Augie Garcia's "Hi Yo Silver," a 1955 song that was Minnesota's first rock 'n' roll recording. He performed on the record, which he called a one-hit wonder (although Garcia is remembered as the godfather of Minnesota rock 'n' roll because of Augie's antics on stage upstaging Elvis Presley).

Harris was in the U.S. military and later worked for about 25 years for American Hoist & Derrick.

His repertoire includes blues and jazz and in his eighties, Harris still plays at a super young 94 and you and come see him every Sunday for FREE right here on The West Bank at one of his second homes, Palmers Bar;)

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