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Soulful
and Captivating
Alex Harris' Music Knows No Bounds
Alex Harris is known as a Southern Soul/R&B singer as well as actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Alex cites Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Reverend Al Green, Pastor Shirley Caesar, and Otis Redding as his major musical influences. At the ripe age of twelve he went on tour with his band A7, comprised of himself and five of his brothers, launching his career. Since then, he has had billboard hits, 4 # 1 singles, traveled the world, and cofounded the Arts Conservatory for Teens (ACT).
Alex was born the middle child of eight, on September 9th in the quiet town of Manchester, Georgia. Fathered by Reverend James Harris, a pastor at the local church,
and his mother Dr. Carolyn Harris, an educator, there were no implements to become musically inclined. So, a young Harris had limited opportunities to indulge his hunger for rhythm. With an ineffable fixation on music, he found his outlet for creativity with his siblings.
By building stages in the backyard, making instruments out of the rubber bands from collard greens, and buckets as drums with drumsticks made from branches of pine trees; the Harris children found they each had a special talent.
Their father was quick to notice the talent that his children had and swiftly brought them in to sing at his church. At the age of 7, he was the lead singer of the new family band; the A-Boys, later reinvented as A7, five kids with all their names starting with an ‘A,’ and one ‘god-brother’ whose name also began with the letter ‘A’ the seventh member being the presence of God. With the rise of their success, the brothers began touring the US during the summer when out of school. Although in a band, each brother made academics their top priority throughout high school, college, and even graduate school.
After graduating high school, Alex enrolled at LaGrange College, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Psychology. He then went on to receive his Master’s in Theology and Social Work from Boston University, did an extended graduate study in Adolescent Counseling at Harvard University, and his Doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and Curriculum Development at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Alex firmly believes in an artist’s social responsibility; the accountability of empowering local communities through partnering with organizations that will support the cause. For Alex, it’s his ACT foundation that provides the platform for that social responsibility. He has made it his duty to empower the youth of socioeconomically challenged communities worldwide. By partnering with organizations in the local communities, this allows additional funding for seminars and workshops for projects or programs in the arts and academic excellence. He has partnered with the city of St. Petersburg, St, Petersburg College, the office of the Vice President of Research at Howard University and many world renown creative leaders to collectively ensure underprivileged youth and teens have equitable access to opportunities that will help each to excel to her /his fullest potential regardless of the circumstance at birth. Alex is currently planning with his partners to launch the ACT Curriculum in cities throughout the U.S. and abroad.
To learn more about Alex Harris and / or support his music and foundation, please visit www.alexharrisofficial.com and www.artsconservatoryforteens.org