Singer-Songwriter, Folk-Rock, Folk-Blues, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Acoustic folk-rocker Ben Harper was born October 28, 1969 in Inland Empire, California, a small community east of Los Angeles. The product of a musical family -- his parents and grandparents were all accomplished amateur talents -- Harper grew up immersed in the diverse sounds of Son House, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley; he took up the guitar as a child and made his public debut at the age of 12. Later graduating to the Weissenborn, a hollow-neck lap slide guitar famed for its elastic, ringing tone, Harper earned notice for a 1992 appearance with his hero Taj Mahal; after a subsequent performance alongside Brownie McGhee, he was signed to Virgin Records. He debuted in 1994 with Welcome to the Cruel World, a politically charged folk-blues effort highlighted by the single "Like a King," which juxtaposed the fates of slain civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr. with police brutality victim Rodney King.

Hear a dozen mp3 excerpts from the latest release: "Burn to Shine"

Angry rants, bruising rockers, Caribbean grooves, Southern boogie, country soul, delicate folk play.... Ben Harper's wildly eclectic and creative fourth release finds the genre- bending Californian turning inward. In the process, he makes his most universally appealing statement yet.

Ben Harper @ Virgin Records