Harris: Generous at spreading around the credit

Harris has long since lost that letter, but 45 years later she was thrilled to co-headline a star-studded NYC tribute to Seeger to celebrate Seeger's 90th birthday. "He's been such an inspiration, so there were many favourite moments," Harris says. "One was I also got to share a dressing room with Kate and Anna McGarrigle."

Ah yes, Montreal's famous McGarrigle sisters, who first came to Harris's attention when they penned the title track to her buddy Linda Rondstadt's 1974 album Heart Like a Wheel, ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 greatest rock albums of all time.

And Harris, now 62 and currently touring in support of her 20th album, All I Intended to Be, since her career took off 40 years ago when The Byrds' Gram Parsons discovered her, knows that when she comes to Montreal she is stepping into McGarrigle country.

"When I list my favourite artists, Kate and Anna are always up there," Harris says. "I got turned on to them by Linda [Ronstadt]. We all kind of grew up together, we've all become great friends over the years. I can't imagine the world of music without them."

Others can't imagine a world of music without Harris, and she is forever grateful to the late Gram Parsons, who died of a drug overdose in 1973.

"When I started out in folk music, I was just an imitator," Harris says. "When I did country music and harmonies with Gram, he gave me a style and direction that I would not have ever found on my own. His loss was devastating. We thought he had cleaned up his act but I guess we were all naive."

Emmylou Harris and Her Red Dirt Boys
w/ Buddy Miller
At Théâtre St-Denis (1594 St-Denis), Oct. 18




 
 

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Opening and closing     Won the tickets from the HOUR.ca intending to give them to my folks, them being big fans and all. At the last minute, mom got sick and they couldn't go, so the tickets fell back in my lap. Not a huge country fan, but was exposed to enough of it growing up in my parents' house that I at least grew to like it some. So at the last minute my girlfriend and I went, expecting nothing more than a night more interesting than watching the Amazing race yet one more time. You never expect much out of the opener, in this case he was Buddy Miller - not only a multiple winner of several country awards, but also a bonafide member of Harris' band. Now, I'm not a country fan, but this guy quickly won me over. Playing music simple, yet full of life that you could not help but tap your foot to. The kind of stuff that Linda Rondstadt used to do before she devolved into Americana & standards, and the type of stuff that the Eagles tried to do before they descended into the corporate Karaoke sell-outs that they are today. He delivered each song with warmth and humour, and could have easily kept the concert running all by himself. Harris was kind enough to join him on 2 songs, being gracious and just backing him up and not overshadowing him. This favour was later returned when he joined as part her band, and did an amazing job contrinuting to her set. Her voice & band were in top form, but I never more than just enjoyed her - you really had to be a fan. As a fun surprise, famed Montrealer's The McGarrigle Sisters later joined her & the band for several songs, and the crowd went nuts. All in all, I did enjoy the show, I'm glad I went. I'm sure my dad, who is a major fan of hers would have been blown away - but for me, despite her & her band being in top form, it was just ok. On the other hand, her opener Buddy Miller - would have been worth the full-ticket price and is someone I'd recommend seeing.
Rob Postuma		October 29th, 2009
harrisonsusan@yahoo.com     I think you need to edit paragraph 6 to read "others can't imagine world of music withOUT Harris."
Susan Harrison		October 16th, 2009

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