Photo by Rebecca Sharp
As part of “Bluegrass Queen,” Rhonda Vincent’s band—The Rage—upright bassist and multi-instrumentalist Mickey Harris has spent most of a lifetime doing what he loves. Tennessee-steeped and family-band-raised, Harris is making music, seeing the world, and doing exactly what he loves: Plucking out those deep-down notes that bring depth to bluegrass.
He came to it because his grandfather needed a bass player for his band, and he looked to his family to fill that void. Harris said they were just a small local band that played at the VA and churches.
“He bought my first bass for me,” Harris said. It was an electric bass, and he was just nine years old. “I started upright bass at 12.”
He made the switch because his great aunt—also a performer with a band—played the upright. It always intrigued the young Harris. When he was in the room during a gig, Harris said he’d “always sneak over there and play it.”
While playing in both family outfits, he focused on the Tipton Family Band.
“I also played mandolin in my family’s band,” he said. “We played a lot of bluegrass and gospel shows in middle Tennessee.” Harris is also adept at guitar and dobro.
After performing with several other bands, he eventually landed with Vincent, where he’s been for over twenty years.
“I met her through other bands I was with,” Harris said. “We had done some festivals and bluegrass cruises together.” He started filling in at the end of 2001 and did a European tour with her that summer.
“We got along great, so I took the job full-time,” he said. “We’ve been to all 50 states and a lot of foreign countries. We’ve seen a lot of countryside together. We’ve rode a lot of miles together.”
“Rhonda’s been great,” he continued. “Ever since I’ve been in the band, she’s also sung on every record I’ve made. We’ve done some duets, and she’s done some harmony vocals.”
Here, Harris references his own recordings. There are six of them, and all are available at MickeyHarrisMusic.com.
Besides touring with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, he sometimes finds time for extra outings.
“I occasionally may do a show at the Station Inn [in Nashville] with some of our band members. We just do things for fun occasionally,” he said.
Harris said he does somewhere between 120 and 140 dates a year with Vincent.
“We’ve also added a lot of Grand Ole Opry dates because she’s a member now,” he added.
Harris had some advice for aspiring bass players. To him, becoming great is about educating oneself and simply…paying close attention. He said this is exactly how he learned long ago: by being a keen observer of others he admired.
“I used to go down to the Station Inn and watch Mike Bub play,” he said of one of his main inspirations during his teen years. Bub would play regularly at a Tuesday night jam session. Another influence on Harris was middle-Tennessee-based bassist Phil Wimett.
“He was great. He was a big influence on my playing as a young kid. He was very entertaining,” Harris laughed.
Another person he watched closely in his youth was “Cousin” Jake Tullock, who played with Flatt & Scruggs: “He was always one of my favorites.”
“Just sit and listen and watch,” he advised youngsters just starting out. Yes, playing and rehearsing are important. Of course. An even bigger part of the success equation, however, involves having the humility to follow in the footsteps of others, to give credit where credit is due, but then build upon what you’ve learned. Harris believes that’s the thing that makes or breaks someone who wants to play professionally someday.
Harris found mentors in people who had mastered the bass, and it helped him to master it as well. These are wise words of advice.
“That’s exactly how I learned. Listen to the notes they’re putting in, but especially to what they’re leaving out,” he laughed. “I don’t like to over-play, especially over the melody.”
The knowledge of when to come forward and when to pull back has always been – and always will be – the mark of a seasoned professional.