When you find something you love, do it every day. Those are words an 82-year-old doo wop singer from Fort Worth lives by.
He had a huge hit in the 1960s that rocketed his group to fame.
Now, 50 years later, he's joined up with another local entertainer to get back in the spotlight.
NBC 5 was there for their first performance to show us how "Texas Connects Us" through a lifelong love of music.
If the world is a stage, then John Harris is the perfect player.
“My stage name was Sonny Blues Boy Harris,” he said.
We went backstage with him before show time at the River Oaks Community Center. But Harris went back in time.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"I'm in Vegas, Tahoe," he said, as he rolled up to the spotlight, just like a million times before.
Harris was an original member of the Doo Wop group 'The Rivingtons.'
"I've been singing since I was knee-high to a duck," said Harris.
Born and raised in Fort Worth's Stop Six neighborhood, he went off to California in the 1950s and started a band.
"We auditioned in a little small room and came up with this "Papa Oom Mow Mow," which didn't make sense period, not to me or nobody else," Harris said.
It might not make sense, but chances are you've heard it. The success of that hit took Harris and The Rivingtons around the world.
"It caught fire," he said.
Followed by the 'Bird's the Word' and 'Kickapoo Joy Juice.' Harris is now 82 and music is still his life.
"Every day,” said Harris. “I've never gone a day without singing a song in my mind, or singing along with the songs I hear."
Which brings us back to the limelight, alongside local performer Don Obeidin, who discovered Harris while performing at his Fort Worth retirement home.
"Or he discovered me, either way," Obeidin said.
The pair soon decided to join forces and a star was reborn.
"You don't know how happy I am today."
John sat center stage for the performance, but he never takes the lead.
He's the harmony man.
"That's my specialty," Harris said.
"It's easy to sing lead, to me,” Obeidin said. “It's hard to sing the backup and the harmony. I admire that more than a lead singer."
It takes a special touch to listen to the voices around you.
"You've just got to be able to hear, you've got to have an ear," said Harris.
And bring them together - to make something beautiful.
"Sing, sing a song, make them happy, make them dance, make them forget about their ups and downs, their problems health-wise, just to motivate them,” said Harris. “You're gonna have problems all your life. You can't escape that."
But this night does feel like an escape, with light-footed dancers twirling to the sounds of their youth.
"He sung so pretty and I loved their music," said longtime fan Dolly Trees.
John feels it, too.
"I'm so happy. I'm so happy! You just don’t know," he said on stage, as the spotlight found its old friend, for one more harmony.
"I've lived a beautiful life. I don't have no regrets," said Harris.
