Harris was born into a working-class family in Derby, England, on 15 June 1933 but would always associate with nearby Nottingham and referred to it as his home city.
Harris started out singing in school choirs and was known to perform Al Jolson and Nat King Cole songs in local talent shows.
Harris served his National Service in the army and then re-enlisted in the RAF becoming a physical training instructor (PTI) in the Royal Air Force until 1959.
[4] Harris encouraged various other groups and clubs to form over the years, including the Dolphin Morris Men and the Owd ‘Oss Mummers.
After Harris left, it moved around a bit before settling at Sutton Bonington School of Agriculture which is just a few miles from Loughborough.
[7] Harris had many small roles on television over the years, usually in crowd scenes, once as a boxing referee in a drama series set in the 1950s.
The Eisteddfod award is given for dedication, inspiration, and service to the practice and dissemination of traditional folk song, music, and dance.