Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont (in California's Pomona Valley). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).

This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.

In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album. (ref)

From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.

In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Also in October, Harper contributed a live recording of the song "Oppression" to the For The Lady benefit album for jailed Nobel Prize winner and Burmese pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."

In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.

Harper has just finished his worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.

Though uncredited, he appears briefly in the 2006 David Lynch film INLAND EMPIRE, alongside his wife Laura Dern.

Harper has recorded a new album in Paris, called Lifeline which will be released on August 28, 2007 and he has also covered John Lennon's Beautiful Boy on the benefit CD Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

His father, Leonard, was African-American with some Cherokee Indian ancestry, while his mother, Ellen Chase, is of Russian Jewish descent.

His parents divorced when he was a child.

Harper has two brothers, Joel and Peter.

On December 23, 2005 Harper married his girlfriend of 5 years, actress Laura Dern. They have two children together, son Ellery Walker and daughter Jaya.

Year

Award Show

Award/Nomination

Rolling Stone Magazine (France)

Artist of the Year

Grammy Award

Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Grammy Award

Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album

Year

Album

Certification

Fight for Your Mind

RIAA Gold-US

Burn to Shine

RIAA Gold-US #67

Live from Mars

RIAA Gold-US #70

Album cover

Album information

Pleasure and Pain

Welcome to the Cruel World

Fight for Your Mind

The Will to Live

Burn to Shine

Live From Mars

Diamonds on the Inside

There Will Be a Light

Live at the Apollo

Both Sides of the Gun

Lifeline

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival June 14-17 2007 - Harper and The Innocent Criminals played in front a huge crowd on the main stage at the biggest music festival in the United States. Harper played on the same stage as Ziggy Marley, whose set ended an hour before he came on. A guest appearance was made by legendary bass player John Paul Jones (from Led Zeppelin) to perform "Dazed and Confused," a Zeppelin hit, alongside Harper. Ziggy Marley also made an appearance to join Harper in singing "Get Up, Stand Up," one of Marley's father's biggest hits. Other songs from the set included "Burn One Down," "Steal My Kisses," "Diamonds On The Inside," "Ground On Down," and "With My Own Two Hands."

Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival Easter 2007 Harper and the Innocent Criminals played a two hour spot to close the Annual Bluesfest. The huge crowd in and around the massive tent were treated to an awesome set featuring songs from old and new albums as well as some covers. Bonnie Raitt, John Butler, Piers Facinni and Jack Johnson made guest appearances throughout the set to perform songs with Ben and the band.

Brisbane River Stage, May 20, 2006 Harper recently completed his final leg of the Australian tour for Both Sides Of The Gun. The concert sold out and received rave reviews. The crowd of 20,000 were treated by an appearance from Jack Johnson to perform, with Harper, a cover of Bob Marley's 'High Tide or Low Tide'.

In July 2006 Harper supported the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their Stadium Arcadium tour, playing dates at venues including the Madejski Stadium in Reading and Pride Park stadium, home of Derby County Football Club, Derby.

Harper next commences upon a Stateside tour, along with supporting artist Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, where he will visit, among others, one of his favorite venues in which to perform: Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorado (August 23, 2006; sold out). Subsequent to this, he will tour Europe, including France, the nation that was one of the first to embrace his earliest musical offerings.

North American Tour 2006 Berkeley--- Greek Theatre On August 18, 2006, Ben Harper played for a sold-out crowd in Berkeley, CA at the Greek Theatre. During the height of the show, Ben Harper brought out Carlos Santana and did a guitar solo of Serve Your Soul. The act drew a surplus of applause as Carlos Santana stayed on stage for two more songs.

Austin City Limits Music Festival - Sept. 15-17, 2006 On Sunday, 17 September 2006, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals played in front of an est. 70K+ in Austin, TX at the ACL Music Festival in a late afternoon show following Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's performance on the same stage an hour earlier. Ben opened his show with an incredible rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child", a nod to Stevie Ray Vaughn's adopted hometown and a favorite local song, and Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" in a set list that also included "Burn One Down", "Steal My Kisses", "Diamonds On The Inside", and "Better Way". Hip-hop artist G. Love made a special guest appearance playing the harmonica, and the set concluded with Damian Marley and Ben playing Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up".