Ben Harper

Ben Harper is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his fusion of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and his dynamic live performances. After securing a lifetime record deal with Virgin Records in 1992, Ben Harper went on to record ‘Pleasure and Pain’ with Tom Freund the same year. His acclaimed debut album, ‘Welcome to the Cruel World,’ followed in 1994, establishing his unique fusion of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music. In 1995, Harper released ‘Fight For Your Mind,’ which quickly achieved gold status and garnered significant airplay, particularly across Europe and Australia.

Harper’s early career also saw him tour California and France with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals in 1993, and perform with Taj Mahal at Austin City Limits that same year, having previously toured and recorded ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’ with Mahal in 1990. Harper’s success continued with three Grammy Award wins out of seven nominations. In 2004, he received accolades for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. That same year, he was featured on Toots and the Maytals’ album ‘True Love’ and performed with them and Jack Johnson on Saturday Night Live.

French Rolling Stone magazine recognized him as Artist of the Year in 2003. His 2006 double album, ‘Both Sides of the Gun,’ debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 and rose to number one in Australia. The collaboration ‘Boa Sorte/Good Luck’ with Vanessa da Mata peaked at No. 1 in Brazil and Portugal between 2007-2008, earning a Prêmio Multishow for ‘Best Song’ in 2008.

Looking ahead, Harper is set to release the single ‘Before The Rain Dried’ in tribute to Michael Ward in 2025, continuing his prolific and impactful career across various genres.