Tuesday, June 20, 2017

RIP: HARRY PRIME

Harry Charles Prime (Preine) died suddenly in his home in Chalfont Thursday, June 15, 2017. He was 97 years young.

Harry was born March 5, 1920 in the East Falls Section of Philadelphia. He was a graduate of St. Bridget's Elementary and Roman Catholic High School.

In the fall of 1944, he entered and won a singing contest at the 400 Club in Washington, D.C. and was offered a week engagement at the Club. From there Prime proceeded to perform with big bands such as Randy Brooks, Tommy Dorsey, Jack Fina and Ralph Flanagan throughout the 1940's and 50's. Prime's recording of the song "Until" with Tommy Dorsey sold a million records.

In 1945, the Nations Disc Jockeys voted the Ralph Flanagan Band as the #1 band in the country and Prime was voted 20th best singer ahead of Dennis Day, Eddie Fisher and Dean Martin.

In the years following his tenure with the big bands, Prime never strayed far from the music business and worked as a disc jockey and radio host in various cities including WCAU in Philadelphia and WNPV in Lansdale.

Most recently, he relished singing at the Roasted Pepper in Chalfont and the Epicure Café in Philadelphia in front of his close friends and fans. Prime's passions were sports including baseball, golf and boxing and of course, music.

Yet with all his musical accomplishments, Prime's greatest joy has been his family. With his late wife Marie, he raised four children, Kevin Prime; Greg Prime (Romy); Ric Prime (Vince Versace); Kim Kantner (Larry), and his grandchildren, Brayden, Caelan, Austin, Mackenzie, Alexis, Taylor and Riley. Harry's children from a previous marriage are John, Harry and Bethenia.

Another icon of the big band era gone...



1 comment:

  1. He was one of the best big band vocalists...right up there with Bob Eberle, Dick Haymes, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Stuart Foster, etc. Harry will be missed.

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