Hall of Fame singer and five-time Grammy winner Larnelle Harris will be honored by his hometown of Louisville as an Outstanding Community Leader and Citizen. The award will be given as part of the Louisville Metro Council’s 10th annual program Thursday in conjunction with Black History Month. Born in Danville, Harris later attended Western Kentucky University where he met and married his wife of 40 years, Cynthia Harris. The couple have lived in Louisville all of their married lives. Both are active in the community and have attended the same Baptist church for more than 30 years.
Harris is one of the most revered gospel singers of his generation. He is the only person in history to become a member of three distinct Hall of Fame organizations: Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and the Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. The latter honor stems from Harris’ pastime of being a ham radio operator for more than 20 years. Harris is now a member of the First Class Operator’s Club, an invitation-only group that is limited to 500 people worldwide. Invitees must demonstrate the ability to send and receive Morse code at a minimum of 25 words per minute, demonstrate regular activity on the amateur frequency bands, and show impeccable levels of courtesy on the air.
