Ben Harper is a singer-songwriter whose music focuses on and sometimes blends blues, folk, reggae, soul, and R&B. His songs touched the hearts of his fans because of the sincerity of his lyrics. He's known for his great voice and his guitar skills. He created a fanbase that spans from North America to Europe to Australia.
Harper was born in California in 1969. He taught himself how to play guitar and played his first show when he was 12. He started with playing the slide guitar and then switched to the Weissenborn slide guitar. He listened to blues, folk, soul, R&B, and reggae music. After performing at numerous shows in Los Angeles, he landed a record deal with Virgin Records in 1992.
In 1994, he released his first album, "Welcome to the Cruel World." The album included songs like "Like a King," which has lyrics about Martin Luther King Jr. and the beating of Rodney King, and "I Rise," which has lyrics adapted from a Maya Angelou poem.
In 1995, he released a second album, "Fight For Your Mind." The album was critically acclaimed and appreciated for its fusion of folk, classic rock, reggae, and heavy metal. This politically charged and socially aware album had song lyrics that described Harper's life growing up with a mixed-ethnic heritage and facing racial prejudice. This was his first record to go gold.
His third album, "The Will to Live," made his music go mainstream and was played a lot on college radio and alternative radio stations. This album also introduced his backup band, the Innocent Criminals.
In 1999, Harper released "Burn to Shine," which mixed a jazz style of music with beatboxing. Songs like "Steal My Kisses" and "Suzie Blue" became popular and led to him leading two world tours.
After a string of albums and touring, one of Harper's recent collaborations was with his mother, Ellen Harper. They released "Childhood Home," with music that focuses on songs of the home and heart wrenching and reflective songs, without any electric instruments. This album brought Harper back to his old folk, soulful music days. His most recent releases are "Call It What It Is" (2016) and "No Mercy in This Land" (2017).
Harper came from a family of singers and musicians. His grandparents owned a famous music store called "The Folk Music Centre and Museum." When Harper was nine-years-old, he went to a Bob Marley concert; Bob Marley was one of his first musical influences. Early in his life, he was also inspired by Robert Johnson, an American blues singer. Later in his career, he would perform and record covers of songs by artists like Led Zeppelin, the Verve, and Marvin Gaye.
He has worked with a variety of artists including the Blind Boys of Alabama, Charlie Musselwhite, and John Mayer. He toured with the Dave Matthews Band on their summer tour in 2000. He participated in many collaborations throughout his musical career. He got together with Relentless7 to record "White Lies for Dark Times," worked with Musselwhite on "Get Up!" and signed a co-publishing agreement with BMG Chrysalis. His other collaboration albums include "Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals: Live from Mars," "Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama: Live at the Apollo" and "Ben Harper and Relentless7: Live from the Montreal International Jazz Festival."
Harper won two Grammys; he won Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for "There Will Be a Light" and Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his song "11th Commandment." He was also named Artist of the Year by the French magazine, "Rolling Stone," in 2003.
