From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Jun 18, 2002  1:41 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Don Harris

DON "SUGARCANE" HARRIS (By Jean-Marc Pezet)

Born Don Bowman, 18 June 1938, Pasadena, California
Died 1 December 1999, Los Angeles, California

Best known as one-half of Don & Dewey, Don Harris was an eclectic
musician, prolific on guitar, piano, harmonica and violin (on which he
was classically trained).
Don and Dewey Terry were school pals, and were founding members of
The Squires, a 6-man vocal group. They recorded for Kicks, Mambo
and Vita as "The Squires" and for the first time as "Don & Dewey" on
Spot, before being signed on Art Rupe's Specialty label. In 1957 and
1958, they cut wonderful tracks like "Miss Sue", "Jungle Hop", "Koko
Joe" and "Justine", but never gained real success as such (probably
due to the Payola scandal and Art Rupe's refusal to pay for airplay).
Their real success came as songwriters, with covers such as "I'm Leavin'
It Up to You", a hit for Dale & Grace, "Farmer John" by The Premiers and
"Big Boy Pete" by The Olympics.
By 1959, they had left Specialty, cut other records for different labels
and worked live with Little Richard during the 1960's.
Don Harris pursued a solo career playing violin and working with John
Mayall and Frank Zappa, issuing LPs under his own name on Epic and
Polydor, and even doing time in prison!
Don & Dewey eventually regrouped for some live gigs on the West Coast
until the untimely death of Don from pulmonary problems, aged 61.

Recommended listening:
Don & Dewey "Jungle Hop" Ace CDCHD 358, 1991 (Specialty recordings)
Official website: http://www.sugarcane-harris.com/