Vick was born in Rocky Mount – the same small North Carolina town as Thelonious Monk. While he remains somewhat of an unsung sax hero, Vick was respected by many bandleaders and contributed to many classic soul-jazz sessions with Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and others. At the turn of the 1970s he recorded with many soul artists, including Aretha Franklin. Vick also wrote movie soundtracks and appeared in several plays and films as an actor. After his death, Sonny Rollins memorialised him in the tune “Did You See Harold Vick?”.