Californian Ben Harper was born in 1969 and started playing guitar as a child. As a teenager, he started playing acoustic slide guitar, which has become his signature instrument.
He signed with Virgin Records in 1992 and released his debut solo album "Welcome to the Cruel World" in 1994 (he had previously recorded a limited edition record with folk guitarist Tom Freud). "Fight for Your Mind" followed it in 1995, while his third album, 1998's "The Will to Live", introduced his backing band the Innocent Criminals.
Constant touring has helped him build a dedicated fan base. He has also played on records by Beth Orton and John Lee Hooker.
In 1999, he met the then unknown Jack Johnson, who had not yet recorded. Harper gave a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs to his producer, JP Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
A respected and popular musician at home, Ben has become a star in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. He was named French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003 and his tour that year for his album "Diamonds on the Inside" played to packed arenas across the continent.
Ben Harper has just finished his worldwide touring his most recent release, "Both Sides of the Gun". He recorded his new album, "Lifeline", in Paris. The album is due to be released in August 2007.