Emmylou Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emmylou Harris
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Harris performing in 2016
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| Born | April 2, 1947 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
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| Education | Gar-Field Senior High School |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
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| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Awards and nominations |
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| Origin | Washington, D.C. |
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Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. She is known for her important role in country rock music in the 1970s and the Americana music style in the 1990s. Her unique voice and musical style have been praised by many. She helped bring together fans of both country and rock music.
Harris became interested in folk music when she was young. She started performing professionally in the 1960s in New York City. She recorded a folk album and performed in her local area. Later, she met Gram Parsons, who helped her explore country rock music. After Parsons passed away in 1973, Harris signed her own record deal. Her album Pieces of the Sky (1975) was very successful. Other albums like Elite Hotel (1976) and Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) also helped her career grow. By 1980, she had several number-one songs on the country music charts.
She continued to release popular albums like Roses in the Snow (1980) and Evangeline (1981). Her band, the Hot Band, was a big part of her sound. In 1985, she released The Ballad of Sally Rose, which was one of her first albums with songs she wrote herself. Later, she teamed up with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt for the album Trio (1987). This album sold millions of copies and was a huge hit.
In 1992, Harris released a live album called At the Ryman, recorded at the famous Ryman Auditorium. This album helped bring new attention to the historic venue. She then explored new musical styles with her 1995 album Wrecking Ball. She also reunited with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt for Trio II (1999). In the 2000s, Harris released more albums with her own songs, like Red Dirt Girl (2000). She also worked with other artists, including Mark Knopfler on All the Roadrunning (2006) and Rodney Crowell on Old Yellow Moon (2013). During this time, she also became involved in activism, even starting her own dog rescue called Bonaparte's Retreat.
Emmylou Harris has sold over 15 million records worldwide. She has won 13 Grammy Awards and had many songs in the top ten on country charts. She was welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2022, Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Harris was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. She had an older brother who liked country music. Her father was a Marine Corps officer who served in World War II and the Korean War. He was a prisoner of war during the Korean War but was later released. Her family moved several times because of her father's military career.
As a child, Harris took piano lessons but did not enjoy them much. Her family eventually settled in Woodbridge, Virginia, where she attended Gar-Field Senior High School. She was a very good student, a cheerleader, and played the saxophone in the marching band. She also won a beauty pageant.
In the 1960s, Harris became very interested in the American folk music revival. She loved artists like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Her grandfather gave her her first guitar, and she taught herself to play.
After graduating from high school in 1965, Harris went to college to study drama. However, she soon decided to focus on a full-time career as a folk singer. She moved to New York City's Greenwich Village, which was a popular place for folk music. In 1969, she married Tom Slocum and had her first child.
Career Journey
Early Folk Music and Gram Parsons
In Greenwich Village, Harris performed regularly and made friends with other musicians. She worked in clubs and supported herself by working as a waitress and bookstore cashier. In 1969, she signed with Jubilee Records, which released her first album, Gliding Bird, in 1970. This album included songs she wrote herself.
After Jubilee Records went out of business, Harris moved to Nashville, Tennessee, but later returned to live with her parents in Maryland. She continued to perform in clubs around Washington, D.C. Even though she was performing, she wasn't sure if she would make it as a music artist.
In 1971, while performing a country song, she was noticed by members of The Flying Burrito Brothers. They told Gram Parsons about her. Parsons, who was looking for a harmony singer, heard Harris perform and was impressed. In 1972, she went to Los Angeles, California, to record harmony vocals for his album GP.
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Harris also toured with Parsons' band in 1973. They had a strong musical connection. Parsons was known for mixing country and rock music, and he taught Harris a lot about country music. She later said that Parsons helped her find her true artistic path. In 1973, they recorded another album, Grievous Angel. Weeks after recording, Parsons passed away unexpectedly. Grievous Angel was released in 1974 after his death.
Solo Success and The Hot Band
Even though she was sad about Gram Parsons' death, Harris decided to continue his country rock style in her own career. She formed her own band and started performing regularly. A record company representative helped her get a contract with Warner Bros. Records.
Her first album with Warner Bros. was Pieces of the Sky (1975), produced by Brian Ahern, whom she later married. This album included her song "Boulder to Birmingham", which was about her feelings after Parsons' death. The album was a big success, reaching number seven on the country charts. Her next album, Elite Hotel (1976), was her first to reach number one on the country chart. It also won her a Grammy Award. Both albums sold over half a million copies.
Harris formed a new backing group called The Hot Band, which included talented musicians like James Burton and Rodney Crowell. Her albums continued to be popular and praised by critics. In 1975, she also sang backup vocals on Bob Dylan's album Desire.
Her albums like Luxury Liner (1976) and Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (1978) also did very well. They produced number-one songs like "Together Again" and "Two More Bottles of Wine".
Instead of moving towards pop music, Harris chose to record more traditional country albums. Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) and Roses in the Snow (1980) were both very successful and won Grammy Awards. These albums helped define her bluegrass sound. One of her songs, "Beneath Still Waters", became a number-one hit.
Collaborations and New Directions
Harris continued to release successful albums in the early 1980s, including Evangeline (1981) and her first live album, Last Date (1982). She also had a hit duet with Roy Orbison called "That Lovin' You Feeling Again," which won a Grammy.
In 1987, Harris teamed up with her friends Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt to record the album Trio. This album was a huge success, reaching number one on the country charts and selling millions of copies. It produced several top ten songs.
In the early 1990s, Harris formed a new band called the Nash Ramblers. They recorded a live album, At the Ryman (1992), at the historic Ryman Auditorium. This album was highly praised and helped bring new attention to the venue.
Harris then signed with Asylum Records and released Wrecking Ball in 1995. This album had an alternative rock sound and was very influential in creating the Americana music genre. It won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. In 1999, she released Trio II with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, which also won a Grammy.
Singer-Songwriter and Recent Work
In 2000, Harris signed with Nonesuch Records and released Red Dirt Girl. This album was special because most of the songs were written by Harris herself. It was a big success and won another Grammy. She also contributed to the soundtrack of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
In 2006, Harris released All the Roadrunning with Mark Knopfler (from the band Dire Straits). This album was very popular around the world. In 2008, she released another solo album, All I Intended to Be, which featured artists like Dolly Parton.
In 2013, Harris released Old Yellow Moon with Rodney Crowell. This duet album was very well-received and won a Grammy Award. They released a second album together, The Traveling Kind, in 2015. Harris continues to perform and play shows, even though she has said she is no longer writing new songs.
Musical Style and Influences
Influences and Sound
Harris first loved music through the folk genre. She listened to folk music on the radio and taught herself to play guitar and sing along. Her early folk influences included Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Pete Seeger. She felt a special connection to Joan Baez, saying Baez changed her whole view on music.
Her work with Gram Parsons introduced her to country music. She learned to appreciate the deep, emotional songs of artists like the Louvin Brothers and George Jones. Parsons helped her see the beauty and simplicity in country music. Later, Rodney Crowell also influenced her country music style.
Musical Styles and Collaborations
Experts often describe Harris's music as country rock. She blended the sound of California folk rock with traditional country music. Her albums in the 1970s helped her gain fans of all ages by mixing rock with classic country. She is seen as a key figure in the country rock movement.
As her career grew, Harris also took inspiration from alternative music. Her 1995 album Wrecking Ball was a turning point, adding new rock elements to her sound. She is also credited with helping to define the alternative country and Americana music styles. Some even call her the "Godmother of Americana."
Harris is also known for working with many other musicians. She has appeared on songs by artists like Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and Sheryl Crow. She enjoys collaborating and believes it has greatly helped her music.
Vocals
Harris's singing voice is often described as clear and strong, yet delicate. Critics have called it a mix of "crystal and steel." Harris herself explained that her voice sounds unique because it comes from her folk music background, rather than a traditional country voice like Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette.
Legacy and Awards
Emmylou Harris has had a lasting impact on modern music. By combining country and rock, she helped bring together different audiences. She showed that country music could be successful while staying true to its roots. She also influenced the neotraditional country style that became popular later.
Many artists, including Miranda Lambert and Trisha Yearwood, say Harris has influenced them. She is known as one of America's best singers and song interpreters. Rolling Stone magazine called her "arguably the greatest American harmony vocalist of the past half-century."
Harris has received many honors. In 1999, she won the Billboard Century Award. She was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008. In 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. She also received the Polar Music Prize in 2015 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
In 2012, the Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit released a tribute song called "Emmylou". In 2016, a special concert called The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris honored her, featuring many of her friends and collaborators.
Activism and Dog Rescue
Harris has used her platform to support important causes. In the late 1990s, she performed in the Lilith Fair concert series, which promoted female music artists. Since 1999, she has organized an annual tour called Concerts for a Landmine-Free World. These concerts raise money to help victims of landmines and raise awareness about the issue.
Harris has loved dogs since she was a child. In 2004, after her own dog Bonaparte passed away, she decided to start Bonaparte's Retreat. This dog rescue saves stray dogs from shelters and helps them find loving homes. The rescue is in Nashville and also helps older or sick dogs. Harris raises money for the rescue through concerts. Bonaparte's Retreat also has a program that connects troubled youth with foster animals, helping both the kids and the dogs.
Personal Life
Harris has been married a few times and has two daughters. Her first daughter, Hallie, was born in 1970. Her second daughter, Meghann, was born in 1979. Harris often took her daughters on tour when they were young, but they mostly lived with their grandparents.
She has a granddaughter born in 2009 and a grandson born in 2012. Harris is a vegetarian. Her mother lived with her for 21 years until her passing in 2014.
Discography
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Studio albums as a solo artist
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Studio albums as a collaboration
Collaborations and other appearances
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See also
In Spanish: Emmylou Harris para niños
