Ben Harper is 53 years old today.
A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism.
Harper's fan base spans several continents. His albums have been commercially successful in North America, Europe and Oceania.
Born in Pomona, California, Harper’s father, Leonard, was of African-American and Cherokee ancestry, and his mother, Ellen Chase-Verdries, is Jewish. 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. 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, John Darnielle and David Lindley. He was influenced by quotes of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost made often by his grandfather.
In 1978, at the age of nine, Harper attended reggae superstar Bob Marley's performance in Burbank, California (joined by former bandmate, Peter Tosh, in the encore, thus making it a sort of historical performance), which was, according to Harper, an important influence.
At the age of 12, Harper played his first gig. During the '80s, in his teen years, he began to play the slide guitar, mimicking the style of Robert Johnson. Next, he refined his style, taking up the Weissenborn slide guitar.
Harper broke out of the Inland Empire after being offered an invitation by Taj Mahal to tour with the artist. They recorded Taj Mahal's album, Follow the Drinking Gourd, released in November, 1990. Then they toured Hawaii.
In 1992, Harper recorded the LP, Pleasure and Pain, with folk multi-instrumentalist, Tom Freund.
After this limited edition record, Harper secured a lifetime record deal with Virgin Records, which released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World, in 1994. This allowed him to be invited at the Rencontres Trans Musicales of Rennes in France in December, 1993 where he appeared for the first time on a large stage.
The first album was followed by, Fight For Your Mind, in 1995, with Juan Nelson on bass. It became a college radio favorite and included several songs that Harper still plays live regularly.