EmmylouHarris

"For the most part my songs are autobiographical in the sense that it has to come from a real emotional experience that I have gone through."

– Emmylou Harris

From Greenwich to Nashville...

Harris arrived to New York just at the time when the dynamic folk scene was more and more turning into the psychedelia and rock era of the 70s. She regularly performed folk and country music in Greenwich Village clubs, was a regular at the legendary folk club Gerde’s Folk City and worked at the same time as a waitress. Harris released her first album Gliding Bird in 1970, with some own compositions and featuring covers of fellow Laureates Bob Dylan and Burt Bacharach.

…to Washington DC.

Just after the record’s release the label Jubilee declared bankruptcy, so the first album never got the distribution it deserved. Harris lived in Nashville for at short period with her husband singer songwriter Tom Slocum, but after their divorce she moved to the Washington area close to her parents.

"Emmylou Harris could harmonize with a barking dog and break your heart."

– David N Meyer, Twenty thousand roads - a biography of Gram Parsons

A second solo debut

“Once I started singing country music with Gram,” Harris once said in an interview with the Washington Post, “there was no turning back for me.” Harris continued to perform with members from the Fallen Angels after the passing of Gram Parsons, now playing country music in the clubs where she used to play folk. Parson’s former A&R at Warner, Mary Martin, introduced her to producer Brian Ahern in 1974.

Mary Martin was the manager and A&R who signed Emmylou Harris, who had also worked with Bob Dylan, Rodney Crowell and Van Morrison during a long and successful career within the business. Harris moved to Los Angeles and released her second debut solo album after Gliding bird, Pieces of the Sky in 1975, produced by Ahern. She would work with Ahern until 1981, and they would then reconnect 20 years later.

"Get a hot band"

The record label told Emmylou Harris to "get a hot band” for her tours, which she did by putting together a new backing unit with James Burton, Glen Hardin, who also played with Elvis Presley, John Ware, young songwriter Rodney Crowell, Hank de Vito and Emory Gordy to form The Hot Band. Harris’ second album Elite hotel was released shortly after Pieces of the Sky, in 1976, with the Hot Band being the backup unit. The tracklist was quite eclectic, containing songs written or performed by Hank Williams, The Beatles, Gram Parsons, Patsy Cline and Buck Owens.

Back to Nashville

Harris moved back to Nashville in 1982. On all her albums so far, most of the songs were classics from the folk and country scene written by other composers, and only a few songs were written by Harris herself. At this period she started to work even more with her songwriting skills which resulted in the concept album The Ballad of Sally Rose, released in 1985, for which she wrote or co-wrote all the songs.

The album tells the story of ”Sally Rose”, a pseudonym name she sometimes used while on tour, and was loosely autobiographical and inspired by her relation to Gram Parsons. Harris described it as a "country opera” and although it was not a huge commercial success, it showed the wide range and genious of her songwriting and storytelling.

Some of the songs that were not chosen to the Trio album went to their respective solo recordings, Top 10 hit "Mister Sandman" for example had already previously been released on Emmylou Harris’ album Evangeline in 1981.

The shows also helped to gather funds for the renovation of the building that re-opened in a new better shape in 1994. At the time of the release, Harris had also been appointed to a term as President of the Country Music Foundation in Nashville.

An important landmark: Wrecking Ball

1995’s landmark Wrecking Ball was produced by Daniel Lanois, avant garde production genius who has also worked with U2 and Polar Music Prize Laureate Peter Gabriel. Wrecking Ball broadened Harris’ musical landscape even further towards a new sound, and showed her open minded approach to music, that has contributed to the whole evolution of the folk and country genres. The album received a Grammy award for best contemporary folk album the year of its release.

Collaborations

One of Emmylou Harris’ characteristics is her collaborative side, she often gets together with other artists from different genres for interpreting or co-writing, she defines it as easy as liking ”getting together with friends, meet new friends, enjoy talents and the music.” And outcome is usually great music.

Awards & Legacy

Harris is known as much for her eloquently straightforward songwriting as for her incomparably expressive singing. A 13-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris’ contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 30 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists’ recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

A longtime social activist, Harris has lent her voice to many causes. She always promotes feminism in music and has organized benefit tours to support the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. Harris is also an avid supporter of animal rights and is actively involved in Bonaparte’s Retreat, the dog rescue organization that she founded.

Content of biography is presented here as it was published in 2015.

Header photo by Jack Spencer.
Portrait photo by Véronique Rolland.

All pictures from Polar Talks, the ceremony and the banquet by Annika Berglund, © Polar Music Prize.