Harris was born in Birmingham, Alabama but raised in Aiken, South Carolina, where he performed as a folk music singer.
He then moved to New York City and Washington, D.C. before meeting Harry Warner, president of Jerry Reed's publishing company, Vector Music.
[1] Harris also wrote "A Player, a Pawn, a Hero, a King", which was recorded by Tammy Wynette for the 1978 movie Hooper; this song's success led to further success in film and television soundtrack composition, including the theme song for America's Funniest Home Videos.
Travis Tritt would also record four of Harris's songs: "I'm Gonna Be Somebody", "Drift Off to Dream", "Can I Trust You with My Heart", and "If I Lost You".
[3] Other artists who had top-ten hits with songs written by Harris include John Berry, Little Texas, Shenandoah, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Tammy Cochran.