Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris,  frontwoman of 1970s and early ’80s rock band Li’l Queenie and The Percolators, was honored by the New Orleans City Council this week for her contributions to New Orleans music.

On July 25, 2019, a proclamation sponsored by Councilman Joe Giarrusso was presented in a declaration accepted by Harris’ son, Alex Harris MacDonald. Harris’ birthday is July 27, a particularly important milestone considering she was reportedly in hospice care due to breast cancer.

In his opening statements, Giarrusso acknowledged the recent deaths of New Orleans musical icons including Dr. John, Dave Bartholomew and Art Neville. With that in mind, his hopes are the City Council will continue to recognize the talent and legacy of local musicians while they are still alive. Those interested in watching the Council session and proclamation ceremony may do so by clicking here.

Click here to read OffBeat‘s 2018 review of Little Queenie’s Purple Heart.