Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American musician.

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Early life

Harper was born in Claremont, in California's Pomona Valley. He began playing guitar as a child. ^[1] 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 of Leonard Cohen, Taj Mahal and David Lindley and quotes of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost made often by his grandfather. ^[2] 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. ^[3] 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 the Fiftieth State. ^[4]

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. ^[5]



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 organised 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.

Ben 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 .

Ben has achieved great success in Brazil and Portugal, because of his collaboration "Boa Sorte/Good Luck" with Brazilian singer Vanessa da Mata, which peaked at #1 in the Portuguese charts.

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". ^{[6] [7]}

Ben 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 12th 2009, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 performed the closing concert of the 30th Montreal International Jazz Fest in front of over 100,000 spectators.

Personal life

Ben Harper is multi-ethnic. His father, Leonard, was of African-American and Cherokee ancestry, and his mother, Ellen Chase-Verdries, is Jewish ^{[8] [9] [10]}. His parents divorced when he was five, and he grew up with his mother's family. Harper has two brothers, Joel and Peter Harper.

From 1996 to 2001, Harper was married to Joanna. They have two children, son Charles Joseph and daughter Harris. 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).

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. ^[11]

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

Discography

Albums

Album information

Pleasure and Pain Released: 1992

Welcome to the Cruel World Released: February 8, 1994

Fight for Your Mind Released: 1995 ARIA Albums Chart #34 RIAA certification: Gold

The Will to Live Released: June 17, 1997 Billboard 200 #89, 1997 ARIA Albums Chart #17

Burn to Shine Released: September 21, 1999 Billboard 200 #67, 1999 ARIA Albums Chart #2 RIAA certification: Gold

Live from Mars Released: 2001 ARIA Albums Chart #2 RIAA certification: Gold

Diamonds on the Inside Released: March 11, 2003 Billboard 200 #19, 2003 Top Canadian Albums #8, 2003 Top Internet Albums #19, 2003 ARIA Albums Chart #2

There Will Be a Light Released: September 21, 2004 Billboard 200 #81, 2004 Top Gospel Albums #1, 2004 Top Internet Albums #113, 2004 ARIA Albums Chart #6

Live at the Apollo Released: March 14, 2005 RIAA certification: Gold

Both Sides of the Gun Released: March 21, 2006 Billboard 200 #7, 2006 ARIA Albums Chart #1

Lifeline Released: August 28, 2007 Billboard 200 #9 European Top Albums #6 ARIA Albums Chart #7

Live at Twist & Shout Released: December 4, 2007

White Lies for Dark Times Released: May 5, 2009 Billboard 200 #9 ARIA Albums Chart #17

Virtual albums

• iTunes Originals - Ben Harper

Singles

• "Like A King / Whipping Boy" (1994)
• "Ground on Down" (1995)
• "Excuse Me Mr." (1996)
• "Gold To Me" (1996)
• "Faded" (1997) #54 UK ^[12]
• "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.

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".

Harper also performed at several Vote Obama rallies.

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".

DVDs

• Pleasure and Pain (2002)
• Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2003)
• Live at the Apollo (2005)

References

1. [1][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.
3. ibid, page 11
4. ibid, page 13
5. Harper takes both sides - The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
6. “For What It’s Worth,” No Nukes Reunite After Thirty Years
7. Musicians Act to Stop New Atomic Reactors
8. Ben Harper | Roots | Part one
9. Ben Harper - Every Facet Of The Diamond
10. Ben Harper | Culture | The Guardian
11. E-Online (July 22, 2008) Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing
12. British Hit Singles & Albums