William Hardy Harless

William (Bill) Hardy “Ogden” Harless, age 65, of Woodville, FL, passed away, peacefully at home, on February 11, 2015. Bill is survived by his wife, Barbra Faircloth Harless; one daughter, Careen Elizabeth Weaver (Charles) of TX; two stepdaughters, Vallis Henley (Kenny) and Nichole Landrum (Chris) of FL; one sister, Sandra Brady Moore of Petal, MS; three nephews, Samuel Fullen (Kim), Jonathan Brady (Haley) and Danny Brady all of Peta, MS; one niece, Sandra Hall (Kavin) of Petal MS; two grandsons; four step-granddaughters; six great nephews; and three great nieces. Bill was a talented baseball player and Golden Gloves boxer as a young boy. He began a music career when he was 14. From age 14 to 19, he performed with several bands around the Hattiesburg, MS area including one of Harless' early bands, “The Honky Tonk Heroes”. Bill served two years in the Army with one tour in Vietnam where he received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Expert Rifleman and Combat Infantryman Badge. In 1985, he signed a recording contract with Cypress Records in Jacksonville, FL. In 1987, Harless signed with Door Knob Records of Nashville, TN. He released six nationally charted singles and some videos. He charted on Billboard between the likes of George Strait, Johnny Rodriguez, and Crystal Gayle. Harless made several tours of Europe where he performed at venues reserved for only the most popular country stars from America like Johnny Cash. In 1996, he opened what became one of the best recording studios in the Southeast, MSC Records Recording Studio in Hattiesburg, MS. He was a perfectionist in his work. Harless was the carpenter that fixed things for his family, the husband, brother, uncle, and friend that was hero to many. He was a special person with a much too generous heart. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Bill to Woodville United Methodist Church Music Program, P.O. Box 687, Woodville, FL 32362, to the Hattiesburg Chapter of the VFW, or to the Wounded Warriors Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Visitation was Saturday, Feb 14, from 5-8 p.m. at Moore Funeral Home in Petal, MS and Services were Sunday, February 15 at 1:30 p.m. at Moore Funeral Chapel in Petal, MS followed by interment in Mozelle Memory Gardens. A Memorial Service will be held at their home on Nutall Rise Road in Taylor County in March. All their friends are invited. “Yesterday is a cancelled check, tomorrow is a promissory note.”

Tributes

William Hardy Harless

November 2, 1949 - February 11, 2015