Dessie Mae Williams, known professionally as Odessa Harris (June 8, 1936 – August 18, 2007) was an American blues and jazz singer.
After performing at several gambling houses, she gained a spot on the radio program King Biscuit Time at the age of 14, and then toured with Robert Nighthawk.
[3] This led to work with a touring carnival show between 1949 and 1953[4] before she relocated to Jacksonville, Florida in the late 1950s, where she sang in local nightclubs.
[2] However, the label was actively promoting the careers of Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson at the time, and Harris' work floundered without any real support.
[2] Harris found freelance vocal work in the Midwest and regularly sang with Sonny Freeman, who was formerly the drummer for B.B.
[3] The Easy Life had a mixture of mid-tempo swing numbers including "As if You Didn't Know," which featured Belgrave, slow funk on the track "Pick up the Pieces," and Latin rhythms in "Road Warrior."