Singer/songwriter Ben Harper, who hails from Pomona, CA, debuted in 1994 with WELCOME TO THE CRUEL WORLD. Harper's idiosyncratic mix of blues, folk, rock, funk, and reggae made an instant splash. His distinctive use of the dobro-like Weissenborn guitar became a key element of his sound. A few years later, Harper adopted a more turbo-charged heavy rock sound influenced in equal parts by Led Zeppelin and Seattle grunge, but his strongly lyrical songwriting and his band's famed live prowess continued to grow.