Harrison Calloway Jr.

1940 - 2016

Harrison Calloway, Jr.

Jackson

Internationally acclaimed musician, arranger, writer, and producer, Harrison Roy Calloway, Jr., passed away Saturday, April 30, 2016, in Jackson, Mississippi, after suffering a stroke on April 22. Harrison was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Harrison, Sr., and Grace Calloway on November 6, 1940.

After graduating high school, Harrison attended Tennessee State University in Nashville on scholarship, majoring in music, singing in the school choir, and playing trumpet. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 1969, where he and college classmate, Harvey Thompson, along with Ronnie Eades , formed a studio horn section, "The Muscle Shoals Horns", playing on recording sessions in the area's active studio scene. Joined by Charles Rose in 1971, "The Muscle Shoals Horns" became one of the most in-demand studio horn sections in the United States and world-wide, performing on hundreds of hit records by artists in every genre of music, as well as touring with international stars such as Elton John, Lyle Lovett and John Denver. They performed with Elton in New York where guest John Lennon appeared in his last live performance.

"The Muscle Shoals Horns" first appeared on a Malaco Records release in 1976 on Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue" album. Harrison moved to Jackson in 1985 to continue his work for Malaco Record's fast growing roster of Blues and Soul greats, including Z. Z. Hill, Dorothy Moore, Denise LaSalle, Little Milton, Latimore, Fern Kinney, Johnnie Taylor, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. More than 110 Malaco album releases credit Harrison's work over the last forty years.

Harrison's reputation as the "go-to music man" in the Jackson area resulted in scores of emerging artists seeking his magic touch as writer, arranger and producer for their recording projects. He also worked for the legendary Johnny Vincent's "Ace Records" label, where he was the musical moving force on hits by Willie Clayton, Ronnie Lovejoy and Pat Brown, among others.

Harrison is survived by his daughter, Sotorria Calloway of Atlanta and her mother, Charlotte Calloway of Nashville; his brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi; and a legion of friends around the world who were forever touched by the music from his soul.

Services will be held Monday, May 9th. Visitation will begin at 12 noon with the funeral service at 2 pm at Lakeover Memorial Funeral Home, 1525 Beasley Road, Jackson, MS. Burial will follow at Garden Memorial Cemetery, 8100 Highway 49 North, Jackson, MS.