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Five-time Grammy award winner comes to Coe Hill

September 16, 2014

By Jim Eadie

There were a lot of very talented and some high ranking individuals who attended Warriors’ Day at Coe Hill on the Labour Day weekend, from skilled restoration experts, military specialists and even Canadian Military Generals. Nobody expected a five-time Grammy award winning musician to stop by for a few minutes to bring greetings, but that is exactly what happened.

In addition to Grammy awards, Larnelle Harris is also a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the recipient of many other awards for music, volunteerism and public service. He has appeared in venues from the White House to the Kremlin, and from small church gatherings to Billy Graham crusades.

Harris’s visit did not come about by car, nor did he drop into town with the Skyhawkes parachute team. Instead, he contacted the special event Morse code amateur radio station operating at Warrior’s Day at Coe Hill to bring his greetings.

In addition to being a world class musician, Harris is also an expert Morse code operator and enthusiast who is among a small group of people committed to keeping this unique art form alive. He is a licensed amateur radio operator, member of the First Class CW (Morse code) Operators Club, and has been inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for his efforts.

On Saturday, Aug. 30 a very small amateur radio station using a special event call sign was calling out for contacts from the Warriors’ Day event using a temporary wire antenna and equipment similar to spy radio’s used by the Allies during World War Two when Harris answered from his Louisville Kentucky station. Band conditions on shortwave frequencies were poor that afternoon despite the advancement of shortwave radios, which made the contact all that more amazing. The recent solar flare activity, which has caused the increased Northern Lights activity seen in southern Ontario skies, also is one cause of depressed shortwave radio conditions.

After an exchange of event, equipment and weather information, Harris wished those present for the demonstration: “TNX FB QSO 73,s CUAGN SK”. This means in Morse Code: “Thanks for the great conversation, salutations, all the best to you and I hope to meet up with you again some day.”

Harris notes that his wife is also a licensed amateur radio operator.

A live performance of Harris can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8jmTSIepjE.