Emmylou Harris was born on April 2, 1947 to a military family who were stationed in Birmingham, Alabama. Soon after her birth, her family was re-located to North Carolina. In her teenage years, her family moved once again. This time to Woodbridge, Virginia. Harris graduated as valedictorian from her local, public high school. After receiving a dramatic scholarship to University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill, Harris began to study music. While at university, Harris taught herself to play songs by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. She then started a duo-group with friend and classmate, Mike Williams. Harris decided that she wanted to pursue a career in music. So, she dropped out of the University of North Carolina and moved to New York City.
While in New York, Harris was disappointed to discover that Folk music no longer possessed the popularity it previously had. Although upset, the singer did not give up. Instead, she began to tour on the Greenwich Village concert circuit. She became a regular at Gerdes Folk City. While singing at Gerdes Folk City, Harris met and befriended folk artists, jerry Jeff Walker, David Bromberg, and Paul Siebel. In 1969, Harris married songwriter, Tom Slocum. Harris’s debut cd was released in 1970, and entitled Gliding Bird. The label she was signed to, however, soon went bankrupt. Harris had other problems at this time; not only her music career failing but her marriage was falling apart. Plus, she was pregnant with her first child. Harris then moved to Nashville, Tennessee and divorced Slocum. She was then left to raise her daughter, Hallie, single-handedly. Harris decided to move back in with her parents who were living in a farmhouse outside of Washington, DC. Although having hard time, Harris did not give up. She began touring once again. She formed a trio with musicians Gerry Mule and Tom Guidera.
Luck struck the young singer in 1971 when she was noticed at a local club by singer, Gram Parsons. Parsons had been a member of a folk band, but was trying to compile a solo cd he knew he wanted female vocals on his album, and he saw potential in Harris. Thus, she sang on Parson’s debut 1972 album, GP. Harris then toured with the artist. In 1973, Harris began recording vocals on Parson’s sophomore solo album, Grievous Angel. Harris’s future as a singer was looking very good at this point. Everything changed, however, on September 19, 1973. Only weeks before the recording of Parson’s album was scheduled to be completed, he was found dead inside his hotel room near the Joshua tree National Monument in California. He had overdosed on drugs. Harris had been planning on moving to California with her daughter Hallie, but after Parson’s death, she stayed in Washington DC with her parents. Soon after, she reunited with former band mate, Tom Guidera and joined his group, the Angel Band. Harris then signed to Reprise Records and moved to Los Angeles, California.
The group’s major label debut album, Pieces of the Sky, was released in 1975. The album was all covers. The Louvin brothers cover, “If I Could Only Win Your Love,” was Harris’s first tope five hit. The album was produced by Harris’s second-husband-to-be, Brian Ahem.
In 1976, Harris released her second LP entitled, Elite Hotel. On the album, she covered Patsy Cline’s “Sweat Dreams” and Buck Owens’s “Together Again.” In 1977, Harris released Luxury Liner. In 1978, Harris released Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town. The single, “Two More Bottles of Wine,” was her third number one hit. In 1979, Harris released, Blue Kentucky Girl. The album was her most country-music album to date. In 1980, Harris released the acoustic-traditional country album, Roses in the Snow. In 1980, she had a widely successful duet with Roy Orbison entitled, “That Lovin’ You feelin’ Again.” At the end of 1980, Harris released a Christmas LP entitled, Light of the Stable: The Christmas Album.
In 1981, Harris stopped touring in order to raise her second daughter, Meghann. In 1981, she released the album, Evangeline. By 1982, her marriage to Ahern was disintegrating. Harris released Cimarron. Soon after, she left Ahern and moved to Nashville. She then relased her autobiographical album, The Ballad of Sally Rose. The name used in the album was Harris’s pseudonym whenever she traveled and stayed at hotels. The album was a commercial failure. Soon after the release of The Ballad of Sally Rose, Harris married singer/songwriter Paul Kennerley. Harris then signed to reprise Records and moved to Los Angeles.
In 1987, Harris released a compilation of country songs in the album, Angel Band. Later that year, she collaborated with country super-stars, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt to release Trio. The album was Harris’s most successful to date. Hits from the album were: “To Know Him is to Love Him,” “Telling Me Lies,” “Those Memories of You.” In 1990, Harris released, Duets. The album featured Willie Nelson, Gram parsons, and George Jones. In 1993, Harris signed to Asylum records. She released Cowgirl’s Prayer and divorced Kennerley. In 1995, she released Working Ball, which was produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan). In 1996, Harris released Portraits, in 1998 she released Spyboy, and later that year she released Trio II
In 2000, Harris released her first album full of original works in five years. Red Dirt Girl had appearances from artists such as: Bruce Springsteen, Patty Scialfa, Jill Cuniff, and Patty Griffin.
In 2003, Harris released Stumble into Grace. This is her 20th studio album. The album is a mix of romantic songs and celtic-flavored folk. The album contains 11 tracks. Acclaimed tracks include: “Time in Babylon,” “O Evangeline,” “Plasir d’Amour,” “Lost Unto This World,” ‘Here I Am,” and Little Bird.” On the album, Harris does a duet with friend, Linda Ronstadt called “Strong Hand.” The song is about legend, Johnny Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash. The single, “Time In Babylon,” was co-written by former Luscious Jackson front woman, Jill Cuniff.
Bio written by: bandhunt |
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