Sam Harris

Born in Oklahoma, Sam Harris departed home at fifteen and passed through St. Louis and Nashville before reaching Los Angeles, where he enrolled at U.C.L.A. Recognition arrived when he captured the top prize on the first season of the talent program Star Search in 1984. The exposure produced a Motown contract and the arrival of his self-titled debut album late that year, which incorporated material from Rita Coolidge and Bruce Roberts. Building on the television triumph, the album earned gold certification in the United States, climbed to number 35 on the album charts, and yielded the buoyant single “Sugar Don't Bite,” which also stopped at number 35 on the Hot 100. Sam-I-Am appeared in late 1985; on that project Harris wrote most of the songs and received production credit alongside collaborators that included Glen Ballard. The release failed to equal the success of its predecessor, although “I'd Do It All Again” still reached number 52. Harris later displayed his versatility through acclaimed Broadway performances and by writing and producing television series, among them Down to Earth, which ran for four years on cable. He continued recording as well, issuing the standards collection Standard Time in 1997. His Motown recordings later received retrospective treatment on the 1994 compilation The Best of the Motown Sessions.