That’s right, Richard Harris, today famous for playing the original Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies, was a hit singer in the 1960s, recording the massively successful “MacArthur Park” in 1968.
Born in 1930, Harris first rose to international prominence playing King Arthur in Camelot (1967), a musical which also prominently featured his singing abilities. The following year he released “MacArthur Park,” to widespread popularity, but also scorn. It has been widely parodied and mocked, though sometimes celebrated, and covered by a myriad of artists. It was featured on his album A Tramp Shining.
Though he would continue to sing throughout his life, Harris soon returned to acting, appearing in classics such as Red Desert (1964), Unforgiven (1992), and Gladiator (2000), along with his aforementioned roles as King Arthur and Dumbledore.