Sue Harris

Link to Sue's Little Mama Products Web Site

Photo Courtesy of Sue Harris

Sue Harris is a folksinger from Phoenix, a native Arizonan with a great sense of Arizona's heritage and history and the things that make Arizona unique. She sings about cowboys and trail rides, quests for treasure, quail, Kokopelli, country dances, and mule rides at the Grand Canyon.

Sue doesn't write most of the songs she sings. Many of them are from the vivid imagination of Dean Cook, another native Arizonan from the Flagstaff area who has a wonderful way with words and music. Sue has taken whimsical Dean Cook songs such as "Kokopelli" (which laments the fate of that ancient symbol of fertility: "would he be amused to find his name and picture used on everything from condos to cafes") and "Where Do You Go When There's No Place to Go on the Bright Angel Trail" (which she recorded for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings on "Songs and Stories from the Grand Canyon") and made them audience favorites everywhere she goes.

Sue Harris with Doc Rolland on the AFP Stage, March, 2008

Sue also sings some serious Dean Cook songs. In fact, she often opens her show with a song that Dolan Ellis says should be a part of every Arizona folk musician's repertoire: "The Minstrel's Song." That song certainly explains why a place like the Arizona Folklore Preserve needs to exist: "The teacher writes the history, but the minstrel gives it life, and the world's a poorer place when you let a legend die." Another Dean Cook song in Sue's repertoire is a hybrid, both whimsical and serious,
"Tall Tales & Treasures," about all of the myths and legends and folklore surrounding the search for gold in central Arizona. Another of Sue's "signature" songs is "Quail Sisters," written by Stan Young, Pat Maloney (lyrics) and Tony Norris (music).

Photo Courtesy of Sue Harris

Finding the songs is just the start of Sue's talent. She arranges them beautifully, and then sings them with her voice that Dolan Ellis refers to as "flute-like." Her voice is certainly like no other, and she is great on the guitar. Her CDs are "Where Have I Been All My Life" and "Tall Tales and Treasures."

In addition to being such a marvelous singer, guitarist and storyteller, Sue Harris makes soaps, lotions and other goodies. Information about her products can be found at Little Mamma Products, and they are also sold at the Arizona Folklore Preserve.

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