Wes Harrison, also known as "Mr. Sound Effects", is an American comedian

Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

 and voice actor

Voice acting

Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...

, notable for his ability to create realistic sound effects using only his voice and a Shure 530 Slendyne microphone. Wes Harrison makes all his sound effects without the help of tape recorders or other electronic devices. Harrison has a comic style reminiscent of Red Skelton

Red Skelton

Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...

, but uses noises instead of physical shtick.

It all began in 1941 while Wes was working as a counselor at a YMCA Boy's Camp on the Chesapeake Bay. While there, he installed a public address system to summon stray campers. This sound system was equipped with a powerful amplifier and three horn loudspeakers. Here Wes began his first experiments with vocal sound effects.

A short time later, Wes was drafted into the Navy. During this time, he worked in special services entertaining the troops, and here developed an act which led to his winning five consecutive Horace Heidt

Horace Heidt

Horace Heidt was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television through the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Born in Alameda, California, Heidt attended Culver...

 Programs. After World War II, he went to University of Texas at Arlington

University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...

 (known as Arlington State College then) and studied electrical engineering. The Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

 broke out and he was called back into the Navy. Altogether, he spent eight years in the Navy. Returning to civilian life, he appeared on the Arthur Godfrey

Arthur Godfrey

Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...

 talent scout show and won. He worked one week on the Arthur Godfrey

Arthur Godfrey

Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...

 Radio Show (but never met Godfrey). He was on the original Major Bowes Amateur Hour

Major Bowes Amateur Hour

Major Bowes Amateur Hour, American radio's best-known talent show, was one of the most popular programs broadcast in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s...

 back in the 1940s. Ted Mack (radio-TV host) gave him a real start and sent him on his way into show business. From that time on, things really started snow-balling for Wes. He appeared on the Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan

Edward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...

, Jack Paar

Jack Paar

Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...

, Garry Moore

Garry Moore

Garry Moore was an American entertainer, game show host and comedian best known for his work in television...

, Mike Douglas, Dean Martin

Dean Martin

Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...

, Roger Miller

Roger Miller

Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...

, and the Merv Griffin

Merv Griffin

Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...

 shows, and filled a complete schedule of night club work.

Wes Harrison resides in Glenview, Illinois and flies his own plane. He still makes public appearances, now doing his live sound effects with two microphones to create stereo effects on his own portable sound system. He often appears at hunting and fishing expos around the country. He usually has copies of his second album, a stereo CD, for sale at his appearances, and it and his appearance schedule can be found available on his web site also.

During his career, Harrison has contributed sound effects to many films such as Peter Pan

Peter Pan (1953 film)

Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie. It is the fourteenth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and was originally released on February 5, 1953 by RKO Pictures...

, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a 1954 adventure film starring Kirk Douglas as Ned Land, James Mason as Captain Nemo, Paul Lukas as Professor Pierre Aronnax, and Peter Lorre as Conseil. It was the first science fiction film produced by Walt Disney Productions, as well as the only science-fiction...

 and the Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...

 cartoon series.

Sources

• "You Won't Believe Your Ears" LP Liner Notes
• "The One and Only" LP Liner Notes
• "Producing Great Sound For Video" (book) - by Jay Rose (2003)

Discography

• Wes Harrison - Fun With Sounds
• You Won't Believe Your Ears
  You Won't Believe Your Ears
  You Won't Believe Your Ears is a 1963 comedy album released by American comedian and sound effects artist, Wes Harrison. The album was re-released on Compact Disc on July 1, 1991.-Track listing:#"Out At The Outhouse"#"Father Oh Father"...
  
  (1963)
• The One and the Only (1969)
• Track "TNT" by Ronnie Rice - Refried Rice (1997)
• Canadian Titanic Society for "Whistles" on "CTS's" 20.75ft "Titanic" model/float for "in-door" exhibit!

External links

• Wes Harrison Official website