Malcolm Barnard Harris, Jr.

Malcolm “Mike” Barnard Harris, Jr., 80, went to be with his Loving Shepherd Jesus Christ on Monday, 12/30/2024.   Malcolm was born in Boonville, Missouri where he graduated from Laura Speed Elliot HS before heading to the University of Missouri in Columbia.  While in the Mizzou Marching Band, he met the love of his life, Sharon.  Several years after graduating from Mizzou, the pair completed graduate degrees at West Texas State University (now West Texas A & M) and continued post graduate work at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas). 

Malcolm sought to show God’s love in all that he did. He read the Bible daily with Sharon. He was an active member of the Nothing But the Truth Sunday School class often serving as the piano player for the class. He loved Jesus and as he grew in his faith, he sought to glorify God in his trumpet playing and conducting as well as his interactions with his fellow musicians. He wrote and orchestrated several original songs to glorify God including Behold Your God, Pray for America, We Are Here But for a Moment, and Voices of Virtue dedicated to the U.S. Navy Sailors of the USS Cole. His relationship with Christ provides great comfort to his family who know he is now in the presence of our loving God.  When he passed, Malcolm was praying with his son. 

Malcolm was blessed with a large and loving family with his wife of 61 years Sharon (Adams) Harris of Houston; daughter Dr. Shari Hiltbrand and husband Rob of Houston; daughter Angela Thor and husband Kirk of Mansfield; daughter Cari Moore of Houston, and son Chris Harris of  Houston.  He will be greatly missed by his 14 grandchildren: Elisa Moore, DJ Moore and wife Anna, Cathryn Moore, Bryce Moore and wife Grace, Abigail (Moore) Lee and husband Toby, Audrey Moore, Zachary Moore, Zane Moore, Cassidy Moore, Emily Moore, and Bennett Moore; Peyton Thor and wife Lindsay, Cooper Thor and wife Cassidy, and Courtney Thor. Malcolm has also been blessed with great grandchildren: Rain and Reese Moore; Colt and Baby Thor #2 (due Summer 2025).

Over the course of his 33-year career as a junior high, high school, and college marching and jazz band director he accomplished a great deal. In Harrisonburg, VA he founded the Madison College (now James Madison University) Marching Band “The Dukes”. When he moved back to Texas, Malcolm and family found their way to Sharon’s hometown of Amarillo where he was the Conductor of the award-winning Amarillo High School Jazz Ensemble, including a selection of the 1978 AHS Jazz Band to tour Europe with 2 other jazz bands from the US that included performing at the Montreux, Switzerland Jazz Festival, which was rebroadcast on PBS and YouTube worldwide. The accomplishments of this Jazz Band led to him being named as “Outstanding Jazz Educator” by Instrumentalist Magazine for 1978. After almost a decade in Amarillo, Malcolm and family moved to Houston when he became the Jazz Band Director at San Jacinto College-North.  After retiring as a public-school educator, Malcolm continued to conduct college Jazz Bands, most recently at Lonestar College-Cypress where he conducted his final concert just before Thanksgiving this year.  

While Malcolm was an accomplished and well-loved school band director, God blessed him with many performance opportunities as a world-class professional trumpet player, conductor and arranger. His performance career began while in high school when he was selected as a member of the School Band of America that toured Europe. While a member of the University of Missouri Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra, he performed as a soloist, principal trumpet, arranger, and concerto contest winner.  During his graduate work at North Texas State University, he was the jazz trumpet chair in the Faculty-Student Jazz Combo and asked to perform with the One O’clock Lab Band.  Malcolm was a consummate trumpet player performing with professional Jazz groups and symphony orchestras including the Jazz Trumpet chair with the Houston Pops Orchestra in the 1980s and guest soloist with the Symphony North of Houston. As a trumpet player mainstay in Houston, God blessed Malcolm to perform with musical artists and groups through the Ward and Ames Agency, the Ed Gerlach Agency, the Richard Brown Band, and Houston Jazz Orchestra. During his professional performing career time, he performed with artists such as Andy Williams,The Modernaires, Robert Goulet, Rita Moreno, Nancy Ames, Flip Wilson, The Drifters, Sonny and Cher, Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Natalie Cole, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Toni Tenille, Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach, Rich Little, Bob Newhart (piano-conductor), Suzanne Somers, John Denver, Tommy Tune, Ray Charles, Bob Hope, Englebert Humperdink, Marilyn McCoo, Marvin Hamlisch, Bernadette Peters, Jay Leno, Randy Travis, the Tex Beneke Orchestra, and Barry Manilow, among many other performers.  

Malcolm was also a sought-after conductor and arranger. He arranged and conducted for numerous recording artists including two albums for John Nevitt, La Mafia recording of “Contigo”, Houston Symphony 9/11 Memorial Concert featuring performances by Grammy award winner Yolanda Adams and Jerry Jeff Walker. He was the musical director and arranger for events such as Barbara Bush Literary Events, the 1986 Olympic Festival Opening Ceremonies, World Petroleum Congress, World Economic Summit Finale, Space Center Houston Groundbreaking Ceremony, Tribute to USO honoring President George H.W. Bush, the 1992 Republican National Convention, World’s Fair in Seville Spain (1992) opening of the American Pavillion, Mayor’s Downtown (Houston) Christmas Tree Lighting 1993-2003.  He was also the music coordinator for KTRK Channel 13’s coverage of the 1998 “Power of Houston” and the 1998 and 1999 July 4th at Miller Outdoor Theatre performances by the Houston Symphony, Malcolm’s strong Christian faith found him playing and arranging for churches in the Houston area including First Presbyterian Church’s Jazz in the Morning, Fellowship of the Woodlands Church Christmas pageants, First Baptist Church, and Second Baptist Church.  

Malcolm will be remembered not only for his love of God, family, and music, but also how personable he was when you sat and talked with him. He had a dry sense of humor…the kind of corny humor that his family would first moan a little and roll their eyes, then bust out laughing. He was also very thoughtful in remembering veterans, not only writing music in remembrance to fallen soldiers, but also playing taps in his front yard on a yearly basis for the “Taps Across America” remembrance on Memorial Day.  In his life, Malcolm was truly a reflection of Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". 

A celebration of life memorial service and musical “jam session” will be held on Monday, January 13, 2025, 7:00-9:00 pm at the Houston Professional Musicians Association at 5771 Enid St., Houston, 77009.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made by mail to:
The Houston Professional Musicians Peck Kelley Fund
PO Box 8748
Houston TX 77249

or Zelle to info@afmhouston.com Attn: Peck Kelley Fund.