Ben Harper

Ben Harper, born in 1969, and grew up hanging out at his grandparents’ California record store, where he met famous patrons like Leonard Cohen and Taj Mahal. Unsurprisingly, Harper formed and early love of music and started performing at the age of 12. Taj Mahal invited him on tour, and Harper collaborated with him on the album Follow the Drinking Gourd in 1990. With a mix of folk, blues, funk, reggae, and rock, Harper’s music has sold well in the U.S., but he is especially popular in Australia, New Zealand, and France where many of his albums have gone platinum. Harper’s best-selling song in the U.S. has been “Steal My Kisses,” which broke into the Billboard Adult Top 40. He has two Grammy Awards, for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. Harper is an active humanitarian, using music to raise awareness for causes like nuclear disarmament and Tibetan freedom.