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Ben Harper: Biography
As a child, he began playing guitar in his homeland - California's Inland Empire - eventually specializing in the acoustic slide guitar. As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Fruend, which spurred record label attention. After this limited edition record, Harper received a record deal from Virgin Records, releasing his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1992) to generally positive reviews.
His 1995 follow-up album, Fight for Your Mind
was a more mature and more political effort, while his third, The Will to Live (1997), expanded his fan base at college and adult alternative radio audiences. It also introduced
the Innocent Criminals, Juan Nelson (bass), David Leach (percussion) and Dean Butterworth (drums), Harper's back-up band. Over the course of the next two years, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals toured incessantly and played on records and live with R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Radiohead, A Tribe Called Quest, Gov't Mule, Beth Orton, The Fugees and John Lee Hooker. In 1999, Burn to Shine was released, which included "Steal My Kisses" and "Suzie Blue", two college radio favorites. 2001 saw the release of Live from Mars, a critically acclaimed double-LP of a recent tour with Dave Matthews Band.
Diamonds on the Inside, another of Ben Harper's offerings offers a further diversification of style to include reggae, funk and a guest appearance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Interestingly, it sees a return to the line up featured on the Fight for Your Mind LP as neither Dean Butterworth or David Leach feature. For the following tour, Marc Ford, formerly of The Black Crowes joined the Innocent Criminals.
Most recently, Harper released a collaboration album with
The Blind Boys of Alabama, called There Will Be a Light
, a heavily gospel-influenced album. The entire album features the Innocent Criminals (as featured in Diamonds on the Inside) as back-up band to Harper and the Blind Boys, who sing harmonies over the music. The special edition included live versions of a number of the new songs.
Harper has released two DVDs: a documentary called Pleasure and Pain
after his initial LP release with Tom Freund, which covers what a tour is like with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, along with much of Harpers personal philosophy; and Live at the Hollywood Bowl
, which was the first full concert DVD for Harper, who also released a 4 song EP Live at the Hollywood Bowl along with the DVD.
Ben Harper's family also owns a music store in Claremont, California. The Folk Music Center is also a musical instrument museum and features instruments from many countries, as well as vintage stringed instruments. The store was established by Ben's maternal grandparents, Charles and Dorothy Chase and is shown in Pleasure and Pain.
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Discography, albums >>
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Latest news on Ben Harper
North AmericaLaid back girl looking for a roommate (mission district) $1000
Hiya,
I'm a straight female college graduate moving from San Fran to New York. My company's relocation team will be taking me on a tour of available rentals in a few days and I'm looking for people who may be interested in searching for an apartment together. I'm looking to move into a 3-4 bedroom place in a fun, vibrant neighborhood (Upper/Lower Haight, Mission, Duboce Triangle, Castro, and Cole Valley come to mind...). I'd also like to pay no more than $1000 per person for rent. Here's some more info about me:
- I'm from New York, born and raised, but lived in SF for seven months last year while on an internship. Come September, I'll be working as a bio-engineer in South SF.
- On my free time I like exploring, jogging through GG park, hiking, learning/playing my guitar, watching live music, dancing, going out, barbeques, reading, Shark Week...
- Favorite Books: One Hundred Years of Solitude, A Long Way Gone
- Favorite Music: Too much. But for starters, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Wilco, Ryan Adams, David Gray, Cat Power, Ray LaMontagne, Jeff Buckley, Girl Talk, Seu Jorge...
I'm looking to live with people in their twenties (preferably), guys and/or girls. I'd like roommates who I can also call friends, though don't want to be attached at the hip. If you're clean but not in an anal way, laid back, and like laughing/having a good time then we'd probably get along quite well.
If you think we'd be a good fit, send me an e-mail and we can talk more!
Cheers!
Published: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:25:39 GMT - Source: Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Read the article
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