Ben Harper

Biography

Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances, and activism. He has released twelve studio albums, mostly through Virgin Records, and has toured internationally.
Harper is a three-time Grammy Award winner and seven-time nominee, with awards for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 2004 and Best Blues Album in 2013.
At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy in This Land", was named Song of the Year.

Early life

Harper was born in Pomona, California. His late father, Leonard Harper, was of African-American ancestry, and his mother, Ellen Harper Verdries (née Chase), is Jewish. His maternal great-grandmother was a Russian-Lithuanian Jew. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he grew up with his mother's family. Harper has two younger brothers, Joel and Peter Harper.
Harper began playing guitar as a child. His maternal grandparents' music store, the Folk Music Center and Museum (Claremont, CA), laid a foundation of folk and blues for the artist, complemented by regular patrons Leonard Cohen, Taj Mahal, John Darnielle, and David Lindley, and quotes of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost made often by his grandfather.
In 1978, at the age of 9, Harper attended Bob Marley's performance in Burbank, California, where Marley was joined by former bandmate Peter Tosh for the encore. It was, according to Harper, an important influence.

Career

At the age of twelve, Harper played his first gig. During the 1980s, in his teen years, Harper began to play the slide guitar, mimicking the style of Robert Johnson. Harper refined his style, taking up the Weissenborn slide guitar. Harper was 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, and toured Hawaii.
In 1992, Harper recorded the LP Pleasure and Pain×Pleasure and Pain1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Whipping Boy2:53A2Jesus on the Main Line4:15A3Pay the Man5:08A4Quarter of a Man4:28A5Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now4:25A6Angel From Montgomery5:33B1Click 'Yo Heels4:27B2You Should Have Come to Me4:29B3Dust My Broom4:06B4Sweet Home Chicago3:48B5Pleasure and Pain4:57 with folk multi-instrumentalist Tom Freund. After this limited-edition record, Harper secured a lifetime record deal with Virgin Records. In 1993, he toured venues in California and France with his band, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, and performed with Taj Mahal at Austin City Limits.
In 1994, Harper released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World×Welcome to the Cruel World8 February 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Three of Us2:362Whipping Boy5:313Breakin' Down4:014Don't Take That Attitude to Your Grave4:255Waiting on an Angel3:546Mama's Got a Girlfriend Now2:297Forever3:248Like a King4:189Pleasure and Pain3:4710Walk Away3:5011How Many Miles Must We March3:0912Welcome to the Cruel World5:3713I'll Rise6:17 and toured the US and Canada with the Innocent Criminals. In November of the same year, he performed two solo shows in Spain.
He released his second album, Fight For Your Mind×Fight for Your MindJuly 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Oppression2:592Ground on Down4:543Another Lonely Day3:444Please Me Like You Want To4:565Gold to Me5:016Burn One Down3:327Excuse Me Mr.5:248People Lead4:149Fight for Your Mind4:0610Give a Man a Home3:3511By My Side3:3412Power of the Gospel6:0213God Fearing Man11:5014One Road to Freedom4:15, in 1995, with Juan Nelson on bass, which became a college radio favorite and included several songs that Harper has played live throughout his career. The same year, the band expanded their reach to Europe and performed in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada, and a handful of US dates. His music received a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim in Europe and was widely played in Australia (first on Triple J radio).
In 1999, at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson and sent a demo tape of Johnson's songs to his producer, J. P. Plunier, who then produced Johnson's first album, Brushfire Fairytales, in December 2000. Jack Johnson became the opening act in late February 2001 for the last 23 cities of Ben Harper's "Innocent Criminals" tour of the United States.

In 2002, Harper was one of the featured singers covering Motown hits by Marvin Gaye in the documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown (a history of The Funk Brothers). Harper was featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani / No Doubt, Bonnie Raitt, Manu Chao, The Roots, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, Ken Boothe, and The Skatalites. In 2003, Harper was French Rolling Stone magazine's Artist of the Year (Artiste De L'Année), and his Australian tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside was highly successful with record sales. On April 3, 2004, Harper and Jack Johnson performed with Toots and the Maytals on Saturday Night Live (season 29, episode 16), a show hosted by Donald Trump.

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. In the same month, 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. In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun×Both Sides of the Gun1 January 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Morning Yearning4:092Waiting for You3:343Picture in a Frame4:374Never Leave Lonely Alone2:525Sweet Nothing Serenade2:456Reason to Mourn4:267More Than Sorry3:258Cryin' Won't Help You Now2:369Happy Everafter in Your Eyes2:31Disc 21Better Way3:582Both Sides of the Gun2:443Engraved Invitation2:554Black Rain2:575Gather 'Round the Stone3:066Please Don't Talk About Murder While I'm Eating2:347Get It Like You Like It3:278The Way You Found Me2:539Serve Your Soul8:22 which debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200. Though uncredited, he appears briefly in the 2006 David Lynch film Inland Empire, alongside his wife Laura Dern.
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 version of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth". Harper's collaboration "Boa Sorte/Good Luck" with Brazilian singer Vanessa da Mata peaked at No. 1 in Brazil and Portugal. In Brazil it also won a highly coveted Prêmio Multishow for "Best Song" in 2008. Also in 2008, Harper participated in the benefit album Songs for Tibet.

On August 27, 2010, it was reported that Harper had formed a band called Fistful of Mercy with Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur. Fistful of Mercy released their debut record, As I Call You Down, on October 5, 2010.
On May 17, 2011, Harper's official site posted that his next album was released, entitled Give Till It's Gone. The album is a continuation of recording with Relentless7.
On October 1, 2012, an album from Harper with Charlie Musselwhite was announced titled Get Up! on Stax Records / Concord Music Group. The official release date for the album was January 29, 2013. Get Up! was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Harper. It is Harper's 12th studio album and first recording since 2011's Give Till It's Gone (Virgin).
In December 2012, it was announced that Harper had co-produced lead vocalist Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks first solo rock album Mother. It was released on May 7, 2013.
In early 2015, it was announced that Harper and the Innocent Criminals would perform at the Boston Calling Music Festival in May 2015.
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals performed at Rock Werchter Festival 2015 on June 28, 2015.
On February 12, 2016, Harper released (as a YouTube video) the single "Call It What It Is", the first track taken from his studio album Call It What It Is, released on April 8, 2016.
On April 8, 2019, Harper performed as a guest artist on the seventeenth season of American Idol during the second night of the "Top 20 Duets" episode. Harper sang with contestant Alejandro Aranda, playing "There Will Be a Light×There Will Be a Light21 September 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Take My Hand3:552Wicked Man3:333Where Could I Go4:104Church House Steps4:46511th Commandment1:356Well, Well, Well3:167Pictures of Jesus3:458Satisfied Mind3:159Mother Pray3:0110There Will Be a Light3:2211Church on Time4:17".
At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
On March 20, 2019, Mavis Staples announced the album We Get By, featuring eleven tracks written and produced by Harper. The title track, which features Harper on vocals and in the music video, was released on May 15, 2019.
In 2020, Harper released Winter Is for Lovers, an album recorded with solo Monteleone lap steel songs. "It started out as an exploration of steel guitar," Harper told Acoustic Guitar magazine in a 2020 interview, "Winter Is for Lovers is written as one piece of music; let's define that in the way that the old classical guitarists would have, on a single guitar (the Monteleone lap steel)."
On June 9, 2021, Harper's longtime bassist, collaborator, and Innocent Criminals member, Juan Nelson, died at the age 62. Harper paid tribute to him, stating on Twitter: "Beloved husband, father, musical genius, BHIC band member of 27 years, and the finest man I've ever known. It's near impossible for me to put words to this pain and loss. Rest in Glory our beloved Reverend Juan." No cause of death has been confirmed.
On July 22, 2022, Harper released the album Bloodline Maintenance×Bloodline Maintenance22 July 2022 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Below Sea Level1:482We Need to Talk About It2:533Where Did We Go Wrong2:444Problem Child4:325Need to Know Basis2:006It Ain’t No Use3:297More Than Love3:078Smile at the Mention3:399Honey, Honey3:3210Knew the Day Was Comin’2:1011Maybe I Can’t2:12. The album was dedicated to the memory of Juan Nelson.
On June 2, 2023, Harper released his seventeenth album, Wide Open Light×Wide Open Light2 June 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Heart and Crown2:092Giving Ghosts4:113Masterpiece2:4548 Minutes2:175Yard Sale4:186Trying Not To Fall In Love With You3:347Wide Open Light4:118One More Change3:489Growing Growing Gone2:2910Love After Love2:3211Thank You Pat Brayer3:54. This is Harper's first album to feature mainly stripped-back acoustic songs with only one track featuring drums.
On April 1, 2024, ex-Innocent Criminals guitarist, Michael Ward died at the age of 57 due to complications from diabetes. On May 1, 2025, Harper released new single, "Before The Rain Dried," in tribute to Ward.

Personal life

In 1996, Harper married his first wife, Joanna. They have two children together. Harper and Joanna separated in 2000, and were divorced in 2001.
Harper began dating actress Laura Dern after they met at one of his concerts in Fall 2000. Harper and Dern married on December 23, 2005, at their home in Los Angeles. They have two children, son Ellery Walker (born August 2001) and daughter Jaya (born November 2004). In 2006, the pair co-directed the video for his song "Better Way×Better Way29 January 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Better Way3:582Please Me Like You Want To (live)3:553Gold to Me (live acoustic version, Nashville, TN)5:42." In October 2010, Harper filed for divorce from Dern, citing irreconcilable differences. They briefly reconciled and attended the 2012 Golden Globe Awards together, but Dern reactivated the divorce by filing a legal response in July 2012. The divorce was finalized in September 2013.
Harper married social advocate Jaclyn Matfus, on January 1, 2015. Their son Besso was born in June 2017.
Harper is a skateboarder who has trained with Rodney Mullen and he also owns a warehouse for his personal skateboarding. Harper co-owns the skateboarding brand Roller Horror with professional skateboarder Mike York. In September 2016, Harper appeared on The Nine Club skateboard podcast, hosted by Chris Roberts, where he discussed his relationship and history with skateboarding. On The Nine Club, he also reveals that he went to school and began skateboarding with Chris Miller in Pomona, California.
Harper's cousin is Washington State Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez.

Philanthropy

Harper supports Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit organization that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. In 2013, he donated items to their San Francisco Bay Area benefit concert.
On December 11, 2016, he played an acoustic benefit concert at Bimbos in San Francisco supporting New Light India's "Boys Home Project". Founded in 2000 by Urmi Basu, New Light India provides shelter, educational opportunities, recreational facilities, healthcare and legal aid for the girls and women in Kalighat, notorious for its red light district.
Harper and his wife, Jaclyn, have been long-time supporters of International Medical Corps’ work around the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they supported the organization's work in California, and Harper recorded a song to benefit International Medical Corps’ global relief efforts.

Legacy

A dead-end street has been named after Ben Harper in Saint-Jean-d'Heurs, a rural commune of France.