The second-to-last act on the Sunday at C2C has developed a reputation as the ‘legends’ slot following Marty Stuart’s performance last year, and in 2018 14-time Grammy winner Emmylou Harris follows in his footsteps.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Harris released her first album Gliding Bird in 1969 and her major label debut, Pieces Of The Sky, was released in 1975. She scored her first number one album with Elite Hotel in 1975 and achieved huge success with other records, including 1977’s Luxury Liner, 1979’s Blue Kentucky Girl and 1995’s critically acclaimed Wrecking Ball.
Harris’ first major hit single was If I Could Only Win Your Love, a duet with Herb Pedersen which peaked at number 4. She has also had six number one hits, including Two More Bottles Of Wine and Beneath Still Waters. In 1980, she recorded That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again with Roy Orbison, which became a top ten hit on the Country and Adult Contemporary Charts and won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance.
Harris is particularly known for her partnership with the late Gram Parsons, appearing on his albums GP, Grevious Angel and Sleepless Nights. Her 1985 album The Ballad Of Sally Rose is a semi-autobiographical concept album, based loosely on her relationship with Parsons.
Throughout her career Harris has worked closely with Rodney Crowell, recording his song Blueberry Wine for her album Pieces Of The Sky and performing with him as part of her backup group The Hot Band in the 1970s. More recently Crowell and Harris have released two albums together, One Yellow Moon and The Travelling Kind. Harris has also worked with artists including Neil Young, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.
In 1987 Harris released an album, Trio, with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. The album reached number one on the album charts, produced four top 10 country hits (including the number one single To Know Him Is To Love Him) and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album Of The Year. A follow-up album, Trio 2, was released in 2004.
Harris’ latest solo album is Hard Bargain, released in 2011. Produced by the legendary Jay Joyce, 11 of the 13 songs on the album were written or co-written by Harris, including three with Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer Will Jennings. The album also includes covers of Ron Sexsmith’s Hard Bargain and Joyce’s Cross Yourself.
Alongside her Grammy Awards success, Harris has won three CMA Awards and two ACM Awards. She was inducted intro the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1992.
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C2C: Country to Country 2018 takes place at the O2 Arena in London from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th March 2018. For more information head to http://c2c-countrytocountry.com/.
