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Ben Harper was lucky enough to be brought up by parents who owned one of the most famous folk music stores in America, The Folk Music Center situated in the desert Emire region about 50 miles from Los Angeles. The shops walls were adorned with all kinds of strange and wonderful instruments, Banjo's's, 5 stringed Banjo's, Hammered Dulcimers, Harps, Auto Harps, Ukelins, Harpsichords, Native Indian hand drums and flutes, violins, guitars, lap top guitars, mouth organs and blue's harps.
Its little wonder that Ben was to become an accomplished musician, by the age of 12 he was performing in public. His instrument of choice was the hollow-neck Weissenborn guitar, built by Herman Weissonborn in the 20s. When amplified the Weissenborn can really rock check out the opening Track on Ben's "Live From Mars Album", 'Glory and Consequence', or if you've ever been privileged enough to hear his take on Dylans ''All along the Watch Tower'', you will know what I mean.
Although Harper was obviously well acquainted with blues, folk and gospel from an early age, during his teens his a heart was jumping to the sound of the new wave, The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Jam, Ben says;
'The first band me and my friends put together was a garage punk band we did covers of The Clash and Jam songs. Some of the Jams Songs were a little beyond us at that time, they are more complex then you would imagine on first listening'.
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