Roy Harper (born 12 June 1941) is an English folk rock singer, songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since 1964. He has released 22 studio albums and 10 live albums.Musically, American blues musician Lead Belly and folk singer Woody Guthrie were his earliest influences, and, in his teens, jazz musician Miles Davis. Harper was also exposed to classical music in his childhood and has pointed to the influence of Jean Sibelius's Karelia Suite. Lyrical influences include the 19th century Romantics, especially Shelley, and Keats's poem "Endymion". Harper has also cited the Beat poets as being highly influential, particularly Jack Kerouac. As a musician, Harper is known for his distinctive fingerstyle playing and lengthy, lyrical, complex compositions, a result of his love of jazz and Keats.His influence has been acknowledged by many musicians including Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, who named the song "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" after him, Pete Townshend of the Who, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, who asked him to sing lead vocals on their song "Have a Cigar", and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, who stated Harper was his "...primary influence as an acoustic guitarist and songwriter." Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph has described him as "one of Britain’s most complex and eloquent lyricists and genuinely original songwriters."More recently, Harper's influence has reached across the Atlantic and been acknowledged by Seattle-based acoustic band Fleet Foxes, American musician and producer Jonathan Wilson and Californian harpist Joanna Newsom with whom he has also toured. In 2011, Harper turned 70 and performed a celebratory concert at London's Royal Festival Hall. His most recent album, Man and Myth, was released in 2013.
Kate (Kate Bush) is a fantastic musician and very professional as well. Working with Kate is a very smooth operation because she always knows what she wants to do, surprising you too, which is what good musicians always do. She is a perfectionist with her art, but isn't like that with all aspects of her life. She is a wonderful person and it would be impossible to speak highly enough of her. She is the kindest woman I've ever met and if she's a friend of yours, she is for life. I would go round there and we used to talk all night and exchange ideas. On a social level she is very graceful and has given me some beautiful presents including a wonderful kaleidoscope one year which is an absolute treasure. Her songs are brilliant, simple deepnesses and a fantastic degree of musicianship goes into them. There is nobody quite like her. I think she should eventually be honoured by her country because she is an outstanding contributor to the cultural life of her generation.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here
2012
Documentary performer: "Have a Cigar"
Acoustic at the BBC
2011
TV Movie performer: "Hangman" 1984
The Old Grey Whistle Test
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 1984 writer - 1 episode, 1984
David Gilmour Live 1984
1984
Video performer: "Short and Sweet", "Comfortably Numb" / writer: "Short and Sweet"
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
David Gilmour Live 1984
1984
Video musician
David Gilmour: Blue Light
1984
Video short musician: backing vocals
Made
1972
composer: original songs / music performer: original songs
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Brokeback Cowboy
2009
Short
Cowboy
Made
1972
Mike Preston
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Roy Harper Man or Myth
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here
2012
Documentary
Himself
Cristel's 60th
2011
Himself
Breakfast
2011
TV Series
Himself - Singer
Folk Britannia
2006
TV Series documentary
Himself
Bert Jansch: Dreamweaver
2000
Documentary
Himself
The Old Grey Whistle Test
1984
TV Series
Himself
David Gilmour Live 1984
1984
Video
Himself - Vocals on Short and Sweet and percussion on Comfortably Numb
The Song Remains the Same
1976
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Pop-Eye
1970
TV Series
Himself / Singer
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Acoustic at the BBC
2011
TV Movie
Himself (as Jimmy Page & Roy Harper)
Known for movies
Cristel's 60th (2011) as Himself
Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here (2012) as Himself
David Gilmour Live 1984 (1984) as Music Department
$8 Million
