Leigh “Li’l Queenie” Harris is best known as the frontwoman of Li’l Queenie and The Percolators, a rock outfit from the late 1970s and early ’80s. Raised in New Orleans, the vocalist has lived in North Carolina with her husband, Rick Ledbetter, for many years. Due to a serious illness, she is eager to return to her former home to be close to loved ones but she is in need of help.

Harris has Stage 4 breast cancer which has metastasized to her bones. Her soaring medical bills and inability to work have prevented her from being able to move back to town and are now asking the New Orleans music community for contributions towards moving expenses.

In a 1999 OffBeat profile, Keith Pandolfi wrote, “Harris grew up in New Orleans and experienced her first musical triumph at the age of 11 when she sang, ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’ at the Tulane University folk festival. Years later, in 1975, she secured her first professional gig performing at the now long-gone, Uptown club, Jed’s. ‘I sang and played guitar; it was great, Lil’ Davey and Marva Wright sang there, that’s how I met all of those people,’ Harris says.”

Leigh’s daughter-in-law, Julie MacDonald, is organizing the fundraising efforts and can be contacted directly on her cell, which is (504) 881-3698.