Ben Harper

Ben Harper got married twice between 1996 and 2013 - first to Joanna and then to Laura Dern, but bothe ended in divorce. He has four children from the marriages—Charles, Harris, Ellery Walker and Jaya.

He has an estimated net worth of $215 million attributed to stock investments, property holdings and endorsement deals with ‘CoverGirl’ cosmetics. Apart from these he is also the owner of several restaurants in Washington, and also owns a football Team.

Ben Harper was born in Pomona, California to Leonard and Ellen Chase. He was just five when his parents got divorced. He was brought up with his brothers, Joel and Peter, by his mother’s family.

His grandparents ran a music store called, ‘The Folk Music Centre and Museum’ which was frequented by such prominent artists as Leonard Cohen, Taj Mahal, John Darnielle, and David Lindley.

When he was nine, he attended reggae legend Bob Marley’s concert in Burbank, California. This unforgettable concert left a lasting impression on his tender mind and influenced his music.

Ben Harper began playing in his first gig at twelve. Initially, he played the slide guitar and copied the style of Robert Johnson, the American blue singer, then switched to the Weissenborn slide guitar.

His first major break came with an invitation from the Grammy winning blues musician, Taj Mahal, to tour Hawaii. Together, they recorded the album, ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’, in 1990.

In 1992, he recorded a LP, ‘Pleasure and Pain’, with singer-songwriter and multi- instrumentalist, Tom Freund. This limited edition record helped him earn a career long contract with Virgin Records.

Virgin Records released his debut album, ‘Welcome to the Cruel World’, in 1994. Now, established as a folk musician in California, he was supported by a band, the ‘Innocent Criminals’.

He was invited to play at the three-day annual music festival, ‘Rencontres Trans Musicales of Rennes’, in France in 1993. It was the first time he played on a big stage.

Ben Harper’s 2003 album, ‘Diamonds on the Inside’, consisted of songs mostly written by the singer. It reached No.19 on the Billboards 200 Chart, sold double platinum in Australia and New Zealand.

‘Both Sides of the Gun’ was a two-disc album released by the singer in 2006. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 Chart and also did well commercially in Australia.