The 53-year-old California-born songwriter and performer Ben Harper rose to fame in colleges thanks to his pot-smoking 1995 anthem “Burn One Down.” But the artist has become so much more than that catchy acoustic cannabis tune.
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He is one of the most inspiring and unique voices in music today, a blend of roots, blues, rock, and even something special. Harper, who is pals with the likes of Jack Johnson, has worked with many high-profile artists in his career, too. Indeed, he and Johnson just released their newest collaboration, “Yard Sale.”
Given that Harper has spent a life in music, one might wonder what he has to say about his craft, his evolution, his friends, and his musical family. These are the 20 best Ben Harper quotes.
1. “As long as the songs are strong, I think you can express yourself in any style and have it be soulful and have it be your own voice.”
2. “My head works in music, so there’s always music there.”
3. “Sometimes I think to talk too much about music almost cheapens it.”
4. “I refuse to age disgracefully in rock ‘n’ roll.”
5. “The Blind Boys are truly the deepest well of American musical heritage you can discover.”
6. “Sometimes I may be totally arrogant, sometimes I may totally be the most humble guy you’ve ever met, and sometimes I may be in between. But that’s life. Who isn’t like that? What’s the big deal if I had an arrogant moment.”
7. “Right now I’m listening to a lot of different things but I listen to a lot of classical music. Eventually, I would like to compose and perform classical.”
8. “If I’m inspired and music inspires me, then I will continue to play it.”
9. “But I would never insult the people that love this music and I would never insult the blessing of music in my life and I would never insult myself by playing uninspired music.”
10. “The advice I have for new artists is this—write great songs and play them live as often as possible. Get residencies all over town and crush it.”
11. “I grew up with a heavy diet of gospel, folk, and blues because those are kind of the cornerstones of traditional American music.”
12. “I’ve never made a record that didn’t sound better than what was in my head—that’s sort of my rule.”
13. “Every single time I step into the studio, I say, ‘Can I still do this? Do I still have it? Have I ever had it?’ I suppose there’s a good amount of self-loathing that goes into any form of artisanship.”
14. “My main concern when traveling around the world is finding a place to skateboard!”
15. “Genetics do play a role in how you consciously or subconsciously manifest your true self.”
16. “That happens every time I get behind a guitar, regardless of what I’m saying, ’cause music is freedom, and being free is the closest I’ve ever felt to being spiritual.”
17. “You’re definitely a different person at different stages in your life.”
18. “The music is in the lead here, and a large part of this, I have no idea what I’m doing. I feel a closer bond with the craft of songwriting, stronger than I ever have.”
19. “So it’s not so much that I set out to do something different, it’s just that the songs themselves require their own individual voice and attention.”
20. “I refuse to make uninspired music.”
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