Emmylou Harris At 72

Emmylou Harris, my "sweetheart of the rodeo," was born this week (April 2) in 1947. She played many of the local clubs and coffee houses in and around DC when I was there in the early '70's. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the audience. Still, it was impossible not to see and hear the advertising in and around Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Silver Spring. Eventually, Harris moved to Los Angeles to work with Gram Parsons and his band, The Grievous Angels. When he died in 1973, she was devastated, but carried on Parsons's search for the fusion sound he called "cosmic American music." Two years later, with the release of her album, Pieces of the Sky, she was on her way. The sound Harris and Parsons produced in their short time together would have a significant impact on decades of folk, rock, and country music to follow.

Here is Harris, then and now, and always my "sweetheart of the rodeo."

For more information on Harris and plenty of music as well, here is Scott Johnson's PowerLine birthday tribute to Harris and her place in American music.