Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is one of the defining voices of country and folk-rooted American music. Discovered by Gram Parsons, she went on to win 13 Grammy Awards and to record everything from old ballads to the songs of new writers.
- Born
- 2 April 1947, Birmingham, Alabama
- Plays
- Vocals, guitar
- Grammys
- 13
- Hall of Fame
- Country Music Hall of Fame, 2008
Career
Harris released her debut album, Gliding Bird, in 1970. Gram Parsons heard her and brought her to Los Angeles to sing harmony on his album GP; after Parsons died in 1973, their duets appeared on Grievous Angel in 1974. Her breakthrough came in 1975 with Pieces of the Sky on Reprise, and Elite Hotel (1976) brought her first Grammy, for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
In 1987 she made Trio with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, her best-selling album. Wrecking Ball (1995) took her in a new musical direction. Over her career she has had 27 top-ten US country singles and sold an estimated 15 million records, and she entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
Songs to know
- "Boulder to Birmingham"
- "Together Again" and "Sweet Dreams"
- "Two More Bottles of Wine"
- "Wayfaring Stranger", the old folk hymn. Read its history.
Selected albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Pieces of the Sky |
| 1976 | Elite Hotel |
| 1980 | Roses in the Snow |
| 1987 | Trio, with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt |
| 1995 | Wrecking Ball |
| 2013 | Old Yellow Moon, with Rodney Crowell |
More great voices: Alison Krauss · Nanci Griffith · Joan Baez