WMSE Presents Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper was born in 1969 and his music and career embodies the sonic bravery, brilliance, lyrical honesty and abiding social activism of that pivotal time. Ben Harper was raised in a hub of activists, poets, artists and of course great musicians. By the time he was 21, he was touring with international music legend Taj Mahal. In the ensuing years he would record sixteen albums, amass a worldwide following selling over 15 million records worldwide and win three Grammy Awards. He would also produce works for Mavis Staples, Rickie Lee Jones, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Natalie Maines, and others, and he has recorded with a diverse roster of artists ranging from John Lee Hooker, Solomon Burke and Jack Johnson to Ringo Starr, Keith Richards and Harry Styles. In 2020, Harper launched his own record label, Mad Bunny Records. July 2022 saw Harper release his next record, the political and personally revealing, fearless and soulful Bloodline Maintenance. The first single “We Need To Talk About It,” was released June 15th.