Birth name : Benjamin Chase Harper
Born : October 28, 1969 (age 42) Claremont, California, United States
Genres : Folk rock, blues rock, alternative rock, soul, funk rock, gospel
Occupations : Musician, Singer-songwriter, Humanitarian
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. 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.
Singer-songwriter. Performed on tour with Taj Mahal, 1992; collaborated with Mahal on soundtrack for The Drinking Gourd, a biography of Harriet Tubman; toured United States as both solo and warm-up act with his band The Innocent Criminals, 1994-95; toured United States, Europe, and New Zealand, 1995-97; recording artist for Virgin Records, 1994-01; headlined at HORDE Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival; founded own record label, Inland Emperor Records, 2001.
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.
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