MANKATO — Bobby J. Marks pretty much happened upon James Samuel Harris Sr. by accident. Just back from New Orleans, he was walking around Minneapolis playing his trumpet and made a stop at Palmer’s Bar.
“I walked into Palmer’s and some people I knew were there, and they asked me to play the horn, and I did,” he said. “And they said, ‘You should stick around. “Cornbread” Harris is going to be here soon.’ And I’m like, ‘Who’s that?’”
That was about 18 years ago he figured, and “Cornbread” was about 80. That invitation to stick around, plus him jumping in on a song he knew, started a relationship that continues. And it comes to the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato on Saturday with the first Live at the Carnegie performance of 2026.
“I think people are going to come and see a very warm show with some really good vibes and some great people,” Marks said. “And they’re going to hear a true Minneapolis legend play and sing for them. They’ll get to experience why we call our weekly Sunday (now at Schooner Tavern) the ‘Church of Cornbead.’ There’s good feelings in the whole room whenever he plays.”
Harris, now 98, is credited with writing Minnesota’s first rock ‘n’ roll recording, Augie Garcia’s “Hi Yo Silver,” in 1955. Although considered a one-hit wonder, a performance by Harris with Garcia as an opening act for Elvis Presley was such a crowd favorite that it upset Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, who rushed them off the stage, Marks said.
He’s also the father of Prince and Janet Jackson producer Jimmy Jam. Although they were estranged for about 50 years, they have reconciled and often perform together. Before starting at Schooner in September, Harris’ band performed every Sunday at Palmer’s Bar.
Live at the Carnegie curator Liz Draper said she has known Marks for many years, crossing paths for years in the Twin Cities music scene. Always on the lookout for various musicians and musical forms to bring to Mankato, she reached out to him via Facebook.
“The joy that is there when they were doing the Cornbread Night, the Sunday night, is just so infectious. That’s really why I wanted to try to bring them to Mankato, and to have people come as close as possible to experiencing that,” she said.
Marks said Harris will be inducted April 10 into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. There is no mention of this year’s class on the Hall of Fame website and a request for confirmation was not answered by press time.
Harris was born April 23, 1927, in Chicago, coming to Minnesota after his father, a gambler, and his mother, Alberta Jones Nelson, died in 1930. He lived with foster families until age 11 or 12 when he and his sister went to live with his grandparents in St. Paul, according to the Wikipedia listing.
He was in the U.S. military and later worked for about 25 years for American Hoist & Derrick. His repertoire includes blues and jazz. A biography, “Deeper Blues: The Life, Songs and Salvation of Cornbread Harris,” by Andrea Swensson was published in August 2024 by University of Minnesota Press.
“He’s been doing it for a long time, and it’s never a surprise when some old guy will come up to me at the bar (and say), ‘I used to be ‘Cornbread’s’ trumpet player,’” Marks said. “He’s definitely had some musicians with him over the years.”
The longtime good relationships with other musicians comes from the way Harris feels about music, which translates to how he responds to other players and audience members, Marks said. Harris understands the role that music has played in his life and his longevity.
“He’s a very kind and funny man. He just absolutely loves what he does,” Marks said. “I think a lot of people suspect that his longevity is due to his love of music and the fact that he gets the opportunity to do it on a regular basis, and he gets an incredible response from a very adoring audience.”
Even though he needs help getting to venues and moving to his piano, Harris often says he is blessed for the life he has led.
“I think he’s even said that in a perfect world, he would just fall asleep at the piano in the middle of the show and not wake up. That’s how he wants to go,” Marks said.