(photo courtesy of Dominique Diprima)
102.3 FM KJLH “Front Page” host Dominique DiPrima and listeners of the popular daily morning show dedicated to Black issues and viewpoints are mourning the loss of comedian and actor Ricky Harris.
Harris, 54, joined the “Front Page” on KJLH in 2010 as co-host. Prior to that he was also a familiar voice on the morning show with Adai Lamar. Harris was known for being at the radio station for the “Front Page,” which airs from 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., even before the show’s producers. He was extremely popular with listeners of the early morning show.
“Ricky was known for playing ‘thugs’ and for his edgy comedy,” remembered Dominique DiPrima. “What a lot of people don’t give him credit for is how he brought humanity and heart to every character he played. He performed them in three dimensions, not as caricatures. He never got caught up in the Hollywood illusion in that, he truly loved his community, his ‘hood,’ his city, his people and he showed that love in everything he did.”
A childhood friend of rapper Snoop Dogg’s, Harris was a known to hip-hop fans as TaDow and regular appeared on his albums. Harris was widely known for playing Malvo in Chris Rock’s TV series “Everybody Hates Chris.” His film credits include his acting debut in “Poetic Justice” as well as “Heat.” Harris was a hugely popular performer on HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” in the 1990s.
“Ricky would still make time for the Front Page between shooting films and television shows,” DiPrima continues. “He loved doing radio and he loved the Front Page and KJLH family.”
Harris is survived by his mother, his ex-wife and two daughters.
