This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2009) |
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter musician and two-time Grammy Award winner, known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism.
Ben Harper |
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Early life
Harper was born in Claremont, in California's Inland Empire. His father, Leonard, was of African-American and Cherokee ancestry, and his mother, Ellen Chase-Verdries, is Jewish. His maternal great-grandmother immigrated from Lithuania.[1][2][3] His parents divorced when he was five, and he grew up with his mother's family. Harper has two brothers, Joel and Peter.
Harper began playing guitar as a child.[4] His maternal grandparents' music store The Folk Music Center and Museum laid a foundation of folk and blues for the artist, complemented by regular patrons Leonard Cohen, Taj Mahal and David Lindley and quotes of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost made often by his grandfather.[5] During the '80s, in his teen years, Harper began to play the slide guitar, mimicking the style of Robert Johnson. Next, Harper refined his style, taking up the Weissenborn.[6] Harper broke out of the Inland Empire after being offered an invitation by Taj Mahal to tour with the artist. The 20 year-old Harper and the blues legend then recorded Follow the Drinking Ghour(d) and toured Hawaii.[7]
Career
As a young man, Harper recorded the LP Pleasure and Pain with Folk multi-instrumentalist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper secured a record deal with Virgin Records, which released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by Fight For Your Mind (1995), which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs that still fill his set lists to date.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.[8]
From early on in Harper's career, his music received more attention in Europe and was widely played in Australia (first aired on Triple J radio) giving massive exposure even more than it did in his home country. Harper has made comments on a number of occasions that his career was kicked off in Australia. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the United States (his musicianship put him on the lineup of featured singers covering Motown hits by Marvin Gaye on the classic 2002 documentary, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," the story of the Funk Brothers) he was a star in countries like Australia, New Zealand, France, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone magazine's Artist of the Year (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside with the music video filmed in Australia and played to packed arenas across the continent.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organized to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Also in October, Harper contributed a live recording of the song "Oppression" to For The Lady, a benefit album for jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner and Burmese pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was canceled, Harper engaged in a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Why Must You Always Dress in Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Harper finished a worldwide tour in support of the album in 2006, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
Though uncredited, he appears briefly in the 2006 David Lynch film Inland Empire, alongside his wife Laura Dern.
Harper and the Innocent Criminals recorded a new album, Lifeline, in Paris. It was released in 2007. He also covered John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" on the benefit CD Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.
Harper's collaboration "Boa Sorte/Good Luck" with Brazilian singer Vanessa da Mata peaked at #1 in Brazil and Portugal. In Brazil it also won a highly coveted Prêmio Multishow for "Best Song" in 2008.
Harper is part of the No Nukes group which is against the expansion of nuclear power. In 2007 the group recorded a music video of a new version of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth".[9][10]
Harper formed a new band in 2008, Relentless7, with Texas-based musicians Jason Mozersky (guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass) and Jordan Richardson (drums). The album White Lies for Dark Times, credited to Ben Harper and Relentless7, was released on May 4, 2009. On July 12 2009, the band performed the closing concert of the 30th Montreal International Jazz Fest.
On January 13, 2010, Harper and Relentless7 appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart together with Ringo Starr to perform "Walk With You" and "With a Little Help from My Friends".[11]
On January 22, 2010, Harper appeared on the last episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien with Beck and Billy Gibbons playing a Will Ferrell-led rendition of "Freebird". [12]
Personal life
On December 23, 2005 Harper married his girlfriend of five years, actress Laura Dern. They have two children together, son Ellery Walker Harper (b. August 21, 2001) and daughter Jaya (b. November 24, 2004).
Harper was close friends with Heath Ledger. Ledger called Harper and said "Ben, I'm having a baby and you need to write a lullaby for my baby girl".[citation needed] Upon Ledger's request, Harper wrote the song "Happy Ever After In Your Eyes" as a lullaby for Heath's daughter, Matilda Rose.[citation needed]
Charity
In 2008 he participated in a music album called Songs for Tibet, which is an initiative to support Tibet, Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso and to underline the human rights situation in Tibet. The album was issued on August 5 via iTunes and on August 19 in music stores around the world.[13]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award Show | Award/Nomination |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Rolling Stone (France) | Artist of the Year |
| 2005 | Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance |
| 2005 | Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album |
Certifications
| Year | Album | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Fight for Your Mind | RIAA: Gold |
| 1999 | Burn to Shine | RIAA: Gold |
| 2001 | Live from Mars | RIAA: Gold |
It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled Ben Harper discography. (Discuss) (February 2010) |
Discography
Albums
| Album information |
|---|
Pleasure and Pain
|
Welcome to the Cruel World
|
Fight for Your Mind
|
The Will to Live
|
Burn to Shine
|
Live from Mars
|
Diamonds on the Inside
|
There Will Be a Light
|
Live at the Apollo
|
Both Sides of the Gun
|
Lifeline
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Live at Twist & Shout
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White Lies for Dark Times
|
Virtual albums
Singles
- "Like A King / Whipping Boy" (1994)
- "Ground on Down" (1995)
- "Excuse Me Mr." (1996)
- "Gold To Me" (1996)
- "Faded" (1997) #54 UK[14]
- "Jah Work" (1997)
- "Glory & Consequence" (1997)
- "Please Bleed" (1999)
- "Burn to Shine" (1999)
- "Forgiven" (2000)
- "Steal My Kisses" (2000) #15 U.S. Adult Top 40
- "With My Own Two Hands" (2003)
- "Diamonds On The Inside" (2003) #31 U.S. Adult Top 40
- "Brown Eyed Blues" (2004)
- "Wicked Man" (2004)
- "There Will Be A Light" (2004)
- "Better Way" (2006)
- "Both Sides Of The Gun" (2006)
- "Morning Yearning" (2006)
- "Fight Outta You" (2007) #61 Hot Canadian Digital Charts
- "Boa Sorte/Good Luck" (2007) (with Vanessa da Mata) #1 Portugal; #1 Brazil
- "In The Colors" (2008)
- "Fool For A Lonesome Train" (2008)
- "Shimmer & Shine" (2009)
- "Fly One Time" (2009)
Special appearances
Harper played a slide guitar version of the "Star-Spangled Banner" prior to Game 3 of the 2007 NBA Finals on June 12 in Cleveland.
He can also be seen playing a slide guitar in the video for the song "Flake" by Jack Johnson.
Harper performed alongside Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and John Paul Jones at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2007. The jam session included songs by Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers, and several Led Zeppelin hits.
Harper performed a cover of "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles for the soundtrack of the film I Am Sam.
He also appears on the 2003 Pearl Jam DVD Live at the Garden where Harper plays alongside friends Pearl Jam for the songs "Daughter" & "Indifference".
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals performed a cover of The Beatles' "Michelle" on the 2005 album This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.
Harper also performed at several "Vote Obama" rallies, including one at University of Colorado at Boulder.
Harper performed on the Willie Nelson show Outlaws & Angels.
Harper teamed with the Skatalites to perform Fats Domino's "Be My Guest" on Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino.
Harper is featured in the iPhone / iPod touch Application "Tap Tap Revenge 2" with his singles "Steal my Kisses" and "Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)."
Harper performed a cover of "My Father's House" by Bruce Springsteen for the album Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen.
Harper was featured, alongside Jack Johnson, playing slide guitar with Toots and the Maytals, performing their 1970s reggae hit "Pressure Drop" on Saturday Night Live.
Harper helped Conan O'Brien end his tenure on The Tonight Show by playing slide guitar on "Free Bird".
In January 2010, Harper and his band the Relentless 7 performed at the Grammy Museum with Ringo Starr in support of the Beatles drummer's self-produced album, Y Not. [15]
DVDs
- Pleasure and Pain (2002)
- Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2003)
- Live at the Apollo (2005)
References
- ^ Ben Harper | Roots | Part one
- ^ Ben Harper - Every Facet Of The Diamond
- ^ Ben Harper | Culture | The Guardian
- ^ [1][2]
- ^ Appleford, Steve. "I'll Rise: The Music and Message of Ben Harper" Page 5. Essay published in the Ben Harper CD Box Collection. Released April 4, 2000.
- ^ ibid, page 11
- ^ ibid, page 13
- ^ Harper takes both sides - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
- ^ “For What It’s Worth,” No Nukes Reunite After Thirty Years
- ^ Musicians Act to Stop New Atomic Reactors
- ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-13-2010/ringo-starr---with-a-little-help-from-my-friends
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/01/23/conan-obrien-recruits-will-ferrell-beck-for-final-episode-free-bird/
- ^ E-Online (July 22, 2008) Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 244. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ http://www.spinearth.tv/report/ben-harper-tells-it-like-it-is