Ben Harper

singer; songwriter

Personal Information

Born Ben Harper on October 28, 1969, in Pomona, CA; son of Leonard and Ellen Harper; divorced; children: C. J. and Harris.

Career

Singer-songwriter. Performed on tour with Taj Mahal, 1992; collaborated with Mahal on soundtrack for The Drinking Gourd, a biography of Harriet Tubman; toured United States as both solo and warm-up act with his band The Innocent Criminals, 1994-95; toured United States, Europe, and New Zealand, 1995-97; recording artist for Virgin Records, 1994-01; headlined at HORDE Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival; founded own record label, Inland Emperor Records, 2001- .

Life's Work

Singer-songwriter Ben Harper came into the national spotlight as a retro 1960s- type folksinger, with songs such as "Like a King," which protested the Rodney King beating while referring at the same time to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. He also appeared onstage singing his own adaptation of Maya Angelou's "And Still I Rise" without accompaniment, with his fist raised in the air. It soon became evident that Harper could do more than write earnest protest songs with just an acoustic guitar. In the years since the release of his first album, Harper has been called the heir to Bob Marley as well as Jimi Hendrix. On a recent album, Live From Mars, Harper performed quiet and reverent gospel songs and covered hard-rocking Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Harper's versatility has become a hallmark of his short but powerful career.

Harper was was October 28, 1969, in Pomona, California, and was raised in the Inland Empire region 50 miles east of Los Angeles. It is no wonder that Harper is able to draw from so many sources for his musical inspiration. His grandparents Charles and Dorothy Chase opened a music store in 1958 called the Claremont Folk Music Center. His grandfather played the lute and his grandmother played the guitar. Harper's parents were also musically inclined. His mother, Ellen, sang and played guitar while his father, Leonard, played the drums. Harper grew up in an environment saturated with many different types of music as well as books and different instruments from all over the world. When he was a teenager Harper listened to hip-hop, but his musical compass had already been set--he would play the music that he had grown up with--American roots music.

In his late teens Harper began to drift away from rap music and move toward the roots of today's popular music--the blues. He began to play Robert Johnson and Son House, key figures in the formation of the Delta Blues tradition from the 1920s. It was this reverence for the old traditional forms of music that led him to his trademark sound, which comes from playing bottleneck slide guitar.

Harper told Jas Obrecht of Guitar Player about the influence of the early blues masters on his development as an artist: "I'd play those records at night, and then I'd go to school and hear them in my mind. The music that I was brought up with puts me in a trance, and that's the channel to the spirit of my music. I woodshedded on the bottleneck for years, putting in hours and hours a day to where morning would turn to night. I did that from the time I was 18 to 20. I was really trying to learn Robert Johnson tunes ... Mississippi John Hurt just hit me like a truck, and that was something I had to play and be a part of. Then Taj Mahal called me up."

Harper had been playing acoustic blues sets in and around Los Angeles from the time he was 16 years old. At one of his shows, blues legend Taj Mahal noticed the serious young man playing the lap slide guitar and invited him on tour. In 1992 Harper appeared on the television show Austin City Limits as part of Mahal's band and collaborated with him on the soundtrack for The Drinking Gourd, a biography of Harriet Tubman. But Harper continued to play mostly the small local coffee shops with his vintage Weissenborn guitar, a completely hollow instrument handmade in the 1920s by Herman Weissenborn. Harper's childhood friend and producer J. P. Plunier was able to arrange meetings with Los Angeles record companies on the strength of the buzz surrounding "Like a King," but Harper's protest song scared some record executives away. In an article on the website of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Harper told Randy Grimmett about his meeting with the head of Virgin Records: "We were advised not to play 'Like a King' because it made the other A&R people nervous. So, of course, we get to the meeting and it's the first song I play. It turned out to be the song he liked most."

From that meeting Harper and Plunier received money to make a six-song demo, which turned into Harper's first album, 1994's Welcome to the Cruel World. The acoustic-based album was very different from the music that dominated the airwaves in the last gasp of the grunge era. But it was exactly that community that was most attracted to Harper's music. He and his band, The Innocent Criminals, began a marathon tour playing solo shows and warming up at the concerts of more well-known acts.

Harper told Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers of Acoustic Guitar magazine about one of his typical early shows: "I'll never forget opening up for P. J. Harvey--she invited us to tour with her. I'd sit down with an acoustic Weissenborn in front of 12-year-old girls with black eyeliner packed in the front row, looking up at me going, 'What in the hell is he playing?' But by the third or fourth song, the heads would start to nod, and then it would be on, you know. We never got stoned or anything like that--not yet."

It was during this ceaseless touring that the band worked on material for Harper's next release, 1995's Fight For Your Mind. Harper's song "Look Like Gold" also garnered some radio airtime. The record also yielded a two-year worldwide tour that found Harper travelling the globe to spread his music. Harper and his band toured throughout the United States and also in Europe and places like Turkey and New Zealand. While on the road Harper wrote material for his next album, which was released in 1997 and called The Will To Live. This record proved to be somewhat of a departure for Harper, as it featured a harder, more electric sound, especially on the record's single, "Faded," which featured a grinding electric guitar over Harper's hushed vocals. Harper was now playing with the heavyweights of the music industry such as Pearl Jam, Dave Mathews Band, and the Fugees, as well as blues and soul icons like John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles. He headlined at the HORDE Festival and played at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival. It was this variety of influences that led to the next album, Burn to Shine, which was released in 1999. On this record Harper fully spread his musical wings, showing his quiet spiritual side in "Two Hands Of A Prayer," and from there going to the light and playful "Steal My Kisses," which attracted significant radio airplay. He went all electric on the album's title track and on "Forgiven," and ventured into the realms of reggae, soul, and even ragtime jazz on "Suzie Blue." Harper told Rodgers of Acoustic Guitar about his musical progression: "I do have to say that playing and expressing myself on electrics of late is renewing my focus and enthusiasm and excitement about acoustics. If I played only acoustic for my entire life, I would get bored. So for my own musical growth, I need to venture out into other worlds of music and sound."

Harper's versatility was showcased on 2001's Live From Mars, a two-disc concert recording. One disc features his acoustic music, including a soulful rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," and the other disc features his more hard-edged music. Though Live From Mars was met with critical acclaim, Harper's life took a turn from the touring and recording cycle that he had known for the past six years. Harper's name began to appear in the gossip columns as much as it did in the music section of the newspapers. Late in 2001 it was reported that Harper had divorced his wife, Joanna, and bought a house in Los Angeles with actress Laura Dern. In 2002 The New York Post reported that Harper would be dropped from EMI's financially troubled Virgin record label in the midst of recording his next album. Harper also took time to found his own record label--Inland Emperor Records. His first artist, who had also appeared on selected recordings throughout Harper's four studio albums, was Patrick Brayer, the man who had given Harper his first paid gig. Brayer was the man who organized the Starvation Café series of concerts. The local concert promoter paid the stunned 16-year-old Harper half of the gate, which at that time was $75.

Whatever direction Harper's next project takes, he will remain true to his roots. He told Lisa Wilton of the Calgary Sun: "I'll never be a rock star and I'll never care to be. It doesn't interest me. It's not me being a rock star, it's me being perceived as a rock star. There's a difference. I feel no physical, spiritual, psychological or egotistical connection to that term at all. My commitment and discipline is in writing songs and playing them well live."

Works

Selected discography

• Welcome To The Cruel World, Virgin Records, 1994
• Fight For Your Mind, Virgin Records, 1995
• The Will To Live, Virgin Records, 1997
• Burn To Shine, Virgin Records, 1999
• Live From Mars, Virgin Records, 2001

Further Reading

Periodicals

• Calgary Sun, August 22, 2000
• Guitar Player, September, 1997

On-line

• About Ben, www.benharper.com/bio/
• Acoustic Guitar, www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag88/CoverStory.shtml
• American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, www.ascap.com/musicbiz/harper.html
• Ben Harper, www.benharper.net

— Michael J. Watkins

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For The Record...

Born October 28, 1969, in California; raised in Inland Empire region of California; son of Leonard (a percussionist) and Ellen (a singer and guitarist) Harper. Toured with Taj Mahal, 1992-93; signed with Virgin Records, 1993; released debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World, 1994; released Fight for Your Mind, 1995. Addresses: Record company—Virgin Records, 338 North Foothill Rd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist

On the strength of only two albums—and successful concert tours undertaken in support of those albums—Ben Harper emerged during the mid-1990s as a musical artist of notable talent and vision. In certain respects, his quick ascent was an unlikely one, for as Acoustic Guitar contributor Ben Elder noted, Harper’s music "defies easy categorization because of its diverse sources: the Carter family, Woody Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, and a melting pot of acoustic blues, reggae, country, hip-hop, rock, and classical styles."

But while Harper’s music eludes classification, there is no mistaking the moral urgency that burns through many of his songs. The passion of Harper’s socially conscious songwriting stems from his apprehension about America’s spiritual direction. "Everything is so out of control," Harper told Pulse! writer Dan Ouellette. "I want our mothers to be able to walk the streets and be safe. Instead of learning from history, whether it’s slavery or the Holocaust, we’re allowing history to repeat itself."

Harper was born on October 28, 1969, and raised in the Inland Empire region of California, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. His grandparents, Charles and Dorothy Chase, were the founders of Claremont’s Folk Music Center. The center, which opened in 1958, is a store and museum that includes a wide range of music, books, art, and instruments for music enthusiasts, and it was an important place during Harper’s childhood years. The store’s myriad totems of musical beauty and genius contributed greatly to his early affinity for music. Harper’s parents (who have since divorced) were musically inclined as well. Leonard Harper, his father, was a skilled percussionist, while his mother, Ellen, was a singer and guitarist.

Early Affinity for the Blues
Harper thus grew up in an environment of passion about music. It wouldn’t take long until most of his waking moments became occupied. Surrounded by a forest of musical instruments, paraphernalia, and recordings, he devoted increasing amounts of his time to studying and playing the blues, a musical genre of which he grew particularly fond. "I’d play those records at night," Harper recalled in an interview with Jas Obrecht for Guitar Player. "Then I’d goto school and hear them in my mind. I’d zone out and the teacher would rap on the desk and say, ‘Hey! What are you doing?’ And I couldn’t very well tell her what I was hearing and feeling. When I got to about 16, I was able to express myself on the slide guitar."

The fledgling musician immersed himself in the recordings of such country blues giants as Robert Johnson

and Blind Willie Johnson, teaching himself to play the slide guitar. (Harper does not read music.) Still, he was not oblivious to the more contemporary musical contributions of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Taj Mahal, and others, and he counts these artists among his biggest influences. As Harper’s proficiency on the guitar grew, he began to experiment with different sounds and techniques, searching for the combination that suited him best. "I started playing lap-style," he told Elder, "and it really freed me up. I started really being able to say what I had to say."

Shortly thereafter, Harper turned to the Weissenborn guitar, an acoustic Hawaiian model that had been popular more than a half-century ago. When he heard the unique resonant qualities of the classic guitar’s sound, he knew that his search for a suitable instrument to display his musical vision was over. "The Weissenborn is the sound that is in me," he told Obrecht. "Nothing else can channel the spirit of my music. I love everything about them… I own quite a few Weissen-borns, and each one definitely has its own voice."

Taj Mahal Takes Notice
Harper began to perform his music at local venues, and he acquired a small following. But it was not until he attracted the attention of blues artist Taj Mahal that his career began its ascent. Taj Mahal recalls that he was taking an afternoon nap before a scheduled show at Claremont when he was awakened by the shivering notes of Harper’s slide playing downstairs. "There was something about this sound that you only hear every now and then in a slide player," he said. "Finally my curiosity got the best of me and I came downstairs to see who it was. These guys thought they were disturbing me. I said, "The only thing that disturbs me is how come we don’t hear anybody else play like you!’"

The two musicians quickly established a rapport, and Mahal convinced Harper to join him on his concert tour, which included an appearance on Austin City Limits. They then collaborated on the soundtrack for The Drinking Gourd, a documentary on the life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. It was around this time that Harper met J. P. Plunier, who became his manager. Plunier convinced Virgin Records to sign the young slide guitarist.

Releases Debut Album
Early 1994 saw the release of Welcome to the Cruel World, Harper’s debut effort. The acoustic-based album immediately triggered a swell of appreciation from critics, who lauded his smoky singing voice and his haunting slide guitar work. Some reviewers found his lyrics overly simplistic at times, but others contended that they "packed a clear and uncompromising social wallop," according to Elder. Songs such as "Don’t Take That Attitude to Your Grave," "Like a King," and "How Many Miles Must We March" provide powerful warnings about America’s fraying social fabric. Conversely, such tracks as "I’ll Rise," which features lyrics adapted from a Maya Angelou poem, champion themes of spiritual hope and triumph over adversity.

Harper’s concern with issues of social justice and race relations are evident throughout Welcome to the Cruel World, a fact that his white mother attributes in part to his upbringing. Noting that Harper’s father is black, she contends that her son’s keen social consciousness is due in part to his mixed-race heritage. Indeed, Harper admits that his exposure to both black and white bigotry during his childhood helped inform his views.

In 1995 Harper released Fight for Your Mind, a worthy successor to his debut album. It features a greater variety of musical textures and electronic amplification (although the album is still anchored by Harper’s slide guitar work) and another batch of incisive social commentary in such songs as "Excuse Me Mr.," "People Lead," and "Oppression." He subsequently embarked on tour dates with such diverse musical talents as Pearl Jam, PJ Harvey, John Lee Hooker, and Gil Scott-Heron.

Harper, who is well aware that his music does not easily fit into any single section of the 1990s regimented radio environment, remains a little amazed at the quick success he has experienced. But he makes it clear that his success is secondary; being true to his musical vision is his primary goal. "Music comes straight from the heart, and people’s hearts are in their eyes," he told Elder. "You can look right at a man and know if he’s about music—or if he’s just a pirate."

Selected discography
Welcome to the Cruel World, Virgin, 1994.
Fight for Your Mind, Virgin, 1995.

Sources
Acoustic Guitar, February 1996.
Billboard, November 11, 1995.
Guitar Player, June 1994, p. 65; December 1995, p. 27.
Pulse!, June 1994, p. 34.
Vibe, June/July 1994.
Additional information for this profile was obtained from Virgin Records promotional material, 1995.

• Genres: Rock

Biography

Combining funky, groove-laden soul with handcrafted acoustic folk-rock, Ben Harper enjoyed cult status during the course of the '90s before gaining wider attention toward the decade's end. As a young artist, he drew his influences from classic singer/songwriters, blues revivalists, guitar slingers, and jam bands like Blues Traveler and Phish, which meant he was embraced by critics and college kids alike. Despite finding commercial success with the radio single "Steal My Kisses" in 2000, Harper continued to explore different (and often challenging) musical textures during the 21st century, enjoying a solid fan base at home and a considerable amount of fame in Europe, where was named 2003's Artist of the Year by the French branch of Rolling Stone.

A native of California, Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, R&B, and reggae. He started playing guitar as a child and began to perform regularly as a preteen. During his adolescence, he focused heavily on the acoustic slide guitar, which eventually became his signature instrument. Harper scored a deal with Virgin Records in 1992 after maintaining steady schedule of shows in the L.A. area; two years later, he released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World, to positive reviews.

Released in 1995, the politically heavy Fight for Your Mind made for a strong sophomore effort, an obvious growth in musical experimentation and individual declamation. It was also the songwriter's first record to later reach gold status. Harper's third album, 1997's The Will to Live, pushed his blues-oriented alternative folk into the middle mainstream, becoming a mainstay at college radio and making inroads at adult alternative radio. Recorded over two years of touring in support of Fight for Your Mind, The Will to Live also introduced the Innocent Criminals, Harper's longstanding backup band. The Innocent Criminals -- bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Dean Butterworth, and percussionist David Leach -- helped solidify Harper's musical rhythms and emotional diversity over the years to come.

Harper's career gained momentum during 1998 and 1999. One of his most successful albums to date, 1999's Burn to Shine, blended his fondness of '20s jazz compositions with urban beatboxing, resulting in a clever and passionate collection of songs. "Steal My Kisses" and "Suzie Blue" were radio favorites, landing him two headlining world tours and an opening spot on the Dave Matthews Band's annual summer trek in 2000. The following spring, Harper issued Live from Mars, a double disc of live electric and acoustic material spanning the previous year's tour and including covers of material by Led Zeppelin, the Verve, and Marvin Gaye.

Harper dove into worldbeat on his fifth studio effort, Diamonds on the Inside, which appeared in March 2003. He toured through Europe the following year with the Blind Boys of Alabama, and the two acts entered Capitol Records' basement studios after the tour's commencement to lay down ten tracks together. The resulting collaborative album (issued under the names of both Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama), There Will Be a Light, was released in September 2004, followed by the concert CD/DVD package Live at the Apollo in 2005.

Eager to release more material, Harper reconvened with the Innocent Criminals and issued the double album Both Sides of the Gun in March 2006. The album reached number seven on the Billboard album charts and rose to number one in Australia. While touring in support of the record, Harper and company began playing a new slew of songs during their evening soundchecks, eventually decamping to Paris and recording the new material within one week. This resulted in two records -- Lifeline and Live at Twist and Shout Records -- both of which were issued in 2007. For his 2009 album White Lies for Dark Times, Harper recorded with the band Relentless7, the members of whom had previously worked with Harper on the track "Serve Your Soul" from Both Sides of the Gun. Harper and the Relentless7 recorded Live from the Montreal International Jazz Festival in July 2009 and released the album early the following year. Afterwards, Harper began working on his first solo album in years, using Jackson Browne's basement as a recording studio and collaborating with Ringo Starr on two tracks. The album's first single, "Rock n' Roll Is Free," was released during the early spring of 2011, followed two months later by the full-length Give Till It's Gone. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi

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