Emmylou Harris

Harris was born April 2, 1947, in Birmingham, Alabama. Her family moved to North Carolina and Virginia with her Marine Corps father, and she grew up idolizing urban folk singers. Her introduction to classic country music came through Gram Parsons, who had helped pioneer a new form of country-rock as a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons recruited Harris to sing harmony and join his band as he toured as a solo artist and bandleader. Harris has credited Parsons with helping her realize the emotional resonance found in the best country music. After Parsons died in 1973, Harris took his visionary ideas and molded them into something distinctly her own. Over the years, she has had twenty-seven Top Ten hits, including seven that reached #1. She also has achieved fourteen Top Ten albums on the Billboard country album charts. In 1983, Harris moved to Nashville, where she became an active and visible member of the city’s arts and charitable communities. In 1987, she teamed with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt for the Grammy-winning album Trio. To date, Harris has won twelve Grammy Awards. Her distinguished career and personal example make her richly deserving of election to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.