Female folk country music artists: Emmylou Harris

Revitalise your country folk music collection with legendary artist, Emmylou Harris. Start your collection online at sanity.com.au

Hailing from Alabama, the multi award-winning Emmylou Harris is one of country folk music’s most influential female artists. Though she is a singer-songwriter, Harris is also well-known for her beautiful reinterpretations of other artists’ work.

Harris has received 12 Grammy Awards over her 30 year career, selling more than 15 millions records around the world. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and then the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009, Harris’ prolific musical career began in the 70s, albeit with humble and tragic beginnings.

Harris serendipitously met country singer Gram Parsons whilst performing one night with Gerry Mule and Tom Guidera. The pair instantly connected musically, with Harris going on to perform vocal harmonies and duets with Parsons on tours and for his iconic LP, Grievous Angels. Only weeks after the session recordings, Parsons was found dead in a motel from an accidental drug and alcohol overdose.

A bereaved Harris went on produce her debut solo album, Pieces of the Sky, a collection filled with reinventions of other artists’ songs including the Beatles and Dolly Parton. The album was number seven on the Billboard Country Charts.

A master collaborator and composer, Harris has worked with the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes and Elvis Costello. Drifting from country folk music to Bluegrass and rock, Harris’s sound easily transcended genres and had a profound influence in bringing country music to rock audiences. Her second LP, Elite Hotel is a poignant example of this and foreshadowed her immensely important role in getting a wider mainstream audience to enjoy and buy country folk music.

Harris still performs around the world, having recently toured Australia and headlining Sydney Festival’s famous opening night event, Festival First Night.  As a testament to her enduring career, Harris released a new solo album, Hard Bargains in April this year, which you can purchase using music gift cards. There are even rumours that she will feature in seasoned pop artist Bonnie Tyler’s upcoming album.

Bio: For more music like Emmylou Harris, browse through or buy country folk music and music gift cards at Sanity.com.au

Related 411LowDown posts:

1. Top 10 Musical Artists of the Last 50 Years
2. Complete List of 2008 AMA Winners
3. Britney Spears Plays Dress Up in New Womanizer Music Video
4. What? Faith Hill Claims CMA Reaction was a Joke