Lecile Harris, the well-known Pro Rodeo Clown from Collierville has died at the age of 83.
According to a Facebook post, Harris passed away peacefully Wednesday night in his sleep after completing the Dixie Nationals Rodeo in Jackson, Mississippi.
Lecile was born on November 6, 1936 in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi.
He began his career as a bullrider and bullfighter, but a devastating accident in the arena at the age of fifty-two led him into comedy full-time. He developed into one of the sport’s most respected funnymen.
Called the “Dean of Rodeo Clowns/Bullfighters,” he was PRCA Clown of the Year in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
He was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2007.
At his peak, Harris performed at more than 100 rodeos each year.
He became well known for his signature end to a performance as The Original Bulldancer, in which he would dance with a bull from the bucking stock.
Lecile Harris had a multitude of talents. He played football at the University of Tennessee-Martin, and was a session drummer in the Memphis area during the ’50s and early ‘60s. For five years, he was on the TV series Hee Haw and made appearances in the films Walking Tall: The Final Chapter, The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James and W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings.
