Wilbert Harrison Biography

Wilbert Harrison (January 5, 1929 – October 26, 1994) was an American singer.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Harrison had a Billboard No.1 record in 1959 with the song "Kansas City". The song was written in 1951 and was one of the first credited collaborations by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. He recorded it for Bobby Robinson (record producer, label owner).

Harrison recorded for the Fire and Fury labels, which were owned and operated by Bobby Robinson at his Harlem record shop. Harrison's records are especially notable for the presence of the brilliant guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, whose solo on "Kansas City" is one of the most memorable in the history of Rock & Roll.