Emmylou Harris

Let’s cut to the chase. Emmylou Harris is among the reigning royalty of Americana music. She was present at the birth of Americana– many years before the Americana label was tacked on to the category. Her association with Gram Parsons jump-started her national career. During his too short life, Parsons almost single-handedly proved to the world that pure country music was at the core of what became rock and folk-rock.

While she has not written a lot of  songs, Emmy has proven to be the foremost arbiter of  excellence in American roots music songwriting. Emmy’s albums include songs from the very best– Townes Van Zandt, Guy and Susannah Clark, Rodney Crowell, Dolly Parton, Nanci Griffith and many others.

Not to mention her gift of choosing and developing some of the very best instrumentalists. Her Hot Band– led for many years by Barry Tashian– provided exposure for both Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell. When she put together her acoustic band– the Nash Ramblers– she took the careers of Sam Bush, Jon Randall, and Roy Huskey, Jr. to new heights.

Emmy’s insistence on quality in the recording studio has produced a body of work with few equals. She has continued the quest of Gram Parsons to bring some recognition to the excellent country, bluegrass, and old-time musicians and songwriters such as the Louvin Brothers and the Carter Family. Her early success allowed her to produce a pure country album– Blue Kentucky Girl – followed by a pure bluegrass album– Roses in the Snow– in spite of much trepidation on the part of Warner Bros. executives.

In recent years, the shift in country radio to essentially pop music has prompted Emmy to explore new directions on albums such as Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl. Fans of American roots music are all the richer for it.

                        Steve Robertson