Remembering Milwaukee Soul and R&B legend Harvey Scales

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Funeral services have been announced for Harvey Scales, a man who spent decades making Soul and Rhythm and Blues music in Milwaukee. 

Scales died February 11 and his impact went far beyond his hometown. 

Harvey Scales' career goes all the way back to the 60s when he led a band called Twistin' Harvey and the Seven Sounds. Scales' son says Harvey's whole life was about music. 

"He's' been doing music since he was 15, he died at 78. So, imagine that, he never had a real job," said Harvey Scales Jr. 

Scales wrote a song called "Disco Lady" that became a national hit for a singer named Johnny Taylor in 1976. Since his death, the family has heard from a lot of artists who have been touched by Harvey Scales and some of the names may raise some eyebrows. 

"Like Cheap Trick reached out to us about my dad. You know, I mean when he passed. Somebody from Kiss. LIke I didn't even know he knew Gene Simmons. They reached out to us about my dad. So like, just his reach and the people that he knew, it wasn't just like black culture, 'cause like you said, it was breaking barriers," Scales Jr. told CBS 58. 

Harvey Scales Jr. says his dad used music to fight racism. 

The visitation for Harvey Scales will be Friday, March 1 at Pitts Mortuary from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Another visitation will be held on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 p.m. with a funeral to follow at 11:00 p.m. at Christian Faith Fellowship Church on Good Hope Road. 

Harvey Scales will be interred at Graceland Cemetary. 

To donate to the GoFundMe set up by the family, click here.