Benjamin Chase Harper, better known simply as Ben Harper, is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He hails from Pomona, California.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that music has been a key part of Harper’s life right from the very get go; when he was growing up in Pomona, his grandparents ran a revered music store, The Folk Music Center and Museum. It was frequented by genuine musical luminaries, including Leonard Cohen and blues legend Taj Mahal; the latter was surely an influence in Harper’s teens, when, after playing his first-ever gig at the age of just twelve, he became deeply enamoured with the music of blues forefather Robert Johnson.
Harper’s never just been a straightforward bluesman, though; the first concert he ever attended, at the age of nine, was headlined by Bob Marley, and he’s often spoken of the importance of reggae to his own sound, which also incorporates funk, soul and folk.
Harper – who has a diverse CV that includes amongst his achievements the discovery and signing of Jack Johnson as well as a cameo in the David Lynch film ‘Inland Empire’ – released a slew of well-received records in the nineties, often backed by his band, The Innocent Criminals, but it’s actually been since the turn of the century that he’s enjoyed most success; he’s scooped three Grammy Awards, two for his collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama, ‘There Will Be a Light’, in 2005, and another for ‘Get Up!’, the record he released with Charlie Musselwhite in 2013.
Lee Foss
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