Harry M. Harrison (September 20, 1930 – January 28, 2020) was an Americanradio personality, primarily inNew York City, for over 50 years. Harrison is the onlydisc jockey to be aWMCA "Good Guy", aWABC "All-American", and a personality onWCBS-FM'soldies format. Harrison retired in June 2005. He was known as New York's "Morning Mayor" after having hosted morningdrive time through most of his career.

Harry Harrison
With theWMCA "Good Guys" (second from left)
Born	(1930-09-20)September 20, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	January 28, 2020(2020-01-28) (aged 89) Westwood, New Jersey, U.S.
Other names	"Morning Mayor"
Occupation	Disc jockey

Harry M. Harrison was born on September 20, 1930, inChicago to Harry Harrison and Mary (McKenna) Harrison.^[1] He attended aseminary with the intention of becoming a priest. Bedridden withrheumatic fever for nearly a year, he kept his ear glued to the radio, which decided him on a broadcasting career.^[1] He began his radio career atWCFL in 1953, later hosting a morning show atWPEO inPeoria, Illinois, before moving toNew York City.

Harrison worked atWCFL1000 AM as a summer replacement, yet remained there eight months, substituting for the permanent DJs.

Harrison became program director atWPEO,Peoria and hosted the morning show as the "Morning Mayor of Peoria."^{[citation needed]} In just six months, Harrison made WPEO the top station.

In 1959, Harrison joinedWMCA570 AM, New York, as the midday "Good Guy." (WMCA disc jockeys were dubbed Good Guys.) Joe O'Brien (mornings) and Harrison gave WMCA a "one-two punch" for over eight years.^{[citation needed]} Harrison, along with wife Patti, and children Brian Joseph ["B.J."], Patti, Patrick, and Michael, called theNew York suburbs "home".

In 1965, he recorded the holiday narration "May You Always", which was released as a single onAmy Records and made theBillboard Christmas singles chart that year.^[2]

Other WMCA "Good Guys" includedJack Spector,B. Mitchel Reed, Dan Daniel and Johnny Dark, and talk show hostBarry Gray. Harrison became popular with his "Housewife Hall of Fame" feature, and participated in the 1966 WMCA Good Guy picnic. Often, he scored the highest ratings on WMCA. Program directorRick Sklar of competingTop 40 stationWABC took note.

In 1968, when WABC morning host Herb Oscar Anderson left the station, Rick Sklar hired Harrison to be the new morning DJ. Harrison was followed on the WABC schedule byRon Lundy in middays andDan Ingram in afternoons.

Every year, Harrison played seasonal songs, such as his holiday greeting "May You Always" in December (the Amy records single of this song made theBillboard Christmas charts in 1965), andAllan Sherman's summer camp novelty, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", throughout the summer months.

WABC personalities included, along with Harrison; Charlie Greer,Scott Muni, Bob Lewis, Ron Lundy,Johnny Donovan,Dan Ingram,Bruce Morrow aka "Cousin Brucie",Chuck Leonard, Bob Cruz,Frank Kingston Smith,Roby Yonge and Jay Reynolds.

Harrison had a number of "trademark" phrases, such as "Morning, Mom"; "Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift"; "Stay well, stay happy, stay right here"; and "Harry Harrison wishing you all the very best... because that's exactly what you deserve!" Also, on the last day of every year, Harrison would bring his four children to work with him and at the end of his shift, he would join them in giving listeners New Year's wishes.

Harrison was let go from WABC as the station changed direction in November 1979.

On March 24, 1980, Harrison became the morning personality atWCBS-FM 101.1, playingoldies music. In 1984, with Lundy joining the station, they were once again heard back-to-back. Harrison would interact with Morning Crew engineer Al Vertucci, sportscasterPhil Pepe, and joke about "wacky weather" and toupee warnings with meteorologist Irv "Mr. "G" Gikofsky, and newscasters Mary Jane Royce and Sue Evans. At 7:20 AM, Harrison opened the "birthday book" and announced listener and celebrity birthdays.

On March 19, 2003, after a 44-year career in New York radio, Harrison left WCBS-FM, saying "I am not retiring."^[3] His farewell to his loyal radio friends (from 5:30 to 10:00am) was held before a live audience at theMuseum of Television and Radio in New York City. It offered old airchecks plus guest appearances by WCBS-FM colleagues Don K. Reed, Bobby Jay, Steve O'Brien, Randy Davis and Dan Taylor, his replacement, as well as his son and daughter, Patti. Harrison took phone calls fromBob Shannon, Mike Fitzgerald, Ed Baer, andRon Lundy. Songs includedGladys Knight's "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" and theLittle River Band's "Reminiscing," before closing with "That's What Friends Are For."

Harrison returned to WCBS-FM with a Saturday morning show in 2004. It offered two hours of variety and two hours ofBeatles music and memories.

On Memorial Day, May 30, 2005, Harry and "Cousin Brucie"Bruce Morrow were guests on WABC Radio's annualRewound show. Four days later, on June 3, WCBS-FM ended its "oldies" format, in favor of the new"Jack" format.^[4] However, as a result of listener disapproval, the WCBS-FM Oldies format was brought back on July 12, 2007, in a modernized form.

• Harrison was known as New York's "Morning Mayor".^[5]
• MayorRudy Giuliani declared April 25, 1997, as "Harry Harrison Day," in honor of the city's second "mayor."^[6]
• In November 2019 Harrison was inducted into theNational Radio Hall of Fame.^[6] Fellow inductees includedJohn Tesh,Ryan Seacrest, andDr. Ruth Westheimer.^[5]

Harry Harrison died on January 28, 2020, at his home inWestwood, New Jersey,^[1] at the age of 89.^[7] He is survived by his daughter Patti and son Patrick; his sons Michael and BJ, and wife Patti predeceased him.^[8][9]

• REELRADIO Harry Harrison Special by Larry Ware
• Harry Harrison at WMCA
• Harry Harrison at WABC radio
• Harry's WCBS-FM Farewell
• WCBS-FM history
• Harry Harrison at Find A Grave