Ben Harper
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Ben Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American musician of the 1990s and 2000s.
Biography
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont (in California's Inland Empire) - eventually specializing in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).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. ([ref])
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.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was canceled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston and the Tabernacle in Atlanta. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In December 2005, Harper married his long-time girlfriend, actress Laura Dern. They have two children together, son Ellery and daughter Jaya. Harper has two other children, son Charles James and daughter Harris, from a previous marriage.
Harper has two brothers, Joel and Peter. His parents divorced when he was a child. His father, Leonard, was African-American with some Cherokee Indian ancestry, while his mother, Ellen Chase, is of Russian and Jewish descent.
In 2006, Harper released the album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts. A worldwide tour is scheduled, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
Discography
Albums
- Pleasure and Pain (1992)
- Welcome to the Cruel World (1994)
- Fight For Your Mind (1995) RIAA Certification: Gold
- The Will to Live (1997)
- Burn to Shine (1999) RIAA Certification: Gold
- Live From Mars (2001) RIAA Certification: Gold
- Diamonds on the Inside (2003) - #2 AUS
- There Will Be a Light with (The Blind Boys of Alabama) (2004)
- Both Sides of the Gun (2006) #1 AUS
Singles
- Steal My Kisses (2000)
Recent Concerts
- Australia Tour Dates
Harper next heads off to New Zealand, where he will perform in Auckland.
- Japan Tour Dates
Club Quattro: Hiroshima, June 6, 2006
Drum Logos: Fukuoka, June 5, 2006
Zepp Tokyo: Tokyo, June 3, 2006
Yokohama Blitz: Yokohama, June 2, 2006
DVD's
- Pleasure and Pain (2002)
- Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2003)
- Live at the Apollo (2005)
Sound samples
- [Download sample] of a live performance of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"
External links
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