How much is Ben Harper’s net worth? Ben Harper is a well-known American singer as well as a songwriter whose net worth has reached $10 million. He is a famous multi-instrumentalist who plays an electric mix of reggae, blues, folk, soul, and rock music. He is also known for his skills while playing guitar. Harper’s performance has earned him lots of awards including; Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 2004. His main source of wealth is the music, television, and film industry
Ben Harper Biography and Early Life
Ben Harper was born on October 28, 1969, in Pomona, California, United States. Leonard, his late father, was of African-Cherokee ancestry while his mother, Ellen Chase, is Jewish. His parents divorced when he was five. He was brought up in his mother’s family. He has two brothers, Joel and Peter. Ben’s talent revealed itself while he was still a child. He used to play guitar at his grandparents’ music store, The Folk Music Centre and Museum. His regular patrons, Leonard Cohen, Taj Mahal, John Darnielle, and David Lindley, recommended him. They gave him a strong foundation of folk and blues.
At the age of 9, he attended Bob Marley’s performance in Burbank, California, where he performed alongside Peter Tosh. According to Harper, that was a great influence.
Career and Rise to Fame
In his childhood, Ben had realized his guitar playing talent and he used to play at home. At the age of 12, his first LP, Pleasure, and Pain, was released, and then two years later, his first album, Welcome to The Cruel World, finally surfaced. The album went viral earning him fame around Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Ben went up on a large stage for his first time in December 1993 after being invited to the RencontresTrans Musicales of Rennes, France. It was then that Harpers’s talent was unstoppable. In 1995, his second album, Fight For Your Mind, was released.
In Harper’s early career, his music received significant attention from the Europeans. From his comments, he has regularly mentioned Australia as the foundation of his career. In 2002, he was featured among the singers covering Mowton hits by Mervin Gaye in his documentary. He also featured in the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals. This album won the Grammy Award for the Best Reggae album later in 2004. His popularity spread all over Europe, and for that reason, Ben was French Rolling Stone Artist of the year in 2003.
Harper, together with Jack Johnson, he performed with the Toots and the Maytals on Saturday Night Live, a show hosted by Donald Trump on April 3, 2004. In October the same year, he was a front-liner in the Vote for Change concert tour organized to encourage people in the swing states to vote. His album, Both Sides of the Gun, was released in 2006, ranked #7 on the Billboard Charts. He has been performing with Relentless 7, a group he formed in 2005. Harper is one of those who are against nuclear power, No Nukes Group.
In 2010, Ben moved to form a band called Fistful of Mercy alongside Dhani Harrison and Joseph Arthur. The band’s first debut, As I Called You Down, was released on October 5, 2010. Another major release was in December 2012 featuring the lead vocalist, Natalie Maines, and Dixie Chicks in his first solo rock album, Mother.
His joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, No Mercy In This Land, was named the Song of the Year at the 40th Blues Music Awards. Marvis Staples announced a new album, We Get By, featuring eleven tracks written and produced by Harper.
How He Spends His Money
Website – benharper.com: he owns a website that offers the latest tour dates lyrics, news, setlists, t-shirts, audio streaming, merchandise, photos, and videos. He uses it for marketing his music.
Philanthropy: Harper has been a reliable supporter of Little Best Kids, a no-profit organization aiming to restore and revitalize music education among the disadvantaged public schools in the U.S. He has also donated several items to their San Francisco Bay Area benefit concert Supporting New Light India’s Boys Home project. This project provides shelter, healthcare, educational opportunities, legal aid, and recreational facilities to girls and women in Kalighat.
