Harris, Emmylou (1947– )

US country-and-western singer and songwriter. Her pure soprano voice gives a sensitive treatment to material ranging from old hymns to country rock. She enjoyed crossover success right from her solo debut, Pieces of the Sky (1975); others include Luxury Liner (1977) and White Shoes (1983).

She teamed up 1972 with Gram Parsons (1946–1973), a former member of the Byrds rock group, and after his death went on performing his songs as well as her own, drawing also on a wide range of traditions and contemporary songwriters. Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) won a Grammy award for the best country vocal performance by a woman. She was inducted into Grand Ole Opry in 1992, the highest honour in country music.

Harris was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and began singing folk songs in the late 1960s. In 1974 she formed the Hot Band as a back-up group, which she dissolved in 1991 to form the Nash Ramblers, giving up electric instruments for acoustic ones. Notable Hot Band guitarists included James Burton (1939– ) and Albert Lee (1943– ).